by Dana Mentink
Ronin watched in disbelief as the car grew closer. Only a desperate fool would try what he knew was about to happen.
“Thea.” He spoke calmly but loudly. He didn’t dare take his hands off the steering wheel to nudge her. “Thea, wake up.”
Thea awoke with a start at the first lurch of the car when bumper tapped against bumper.
“What’s happened?” she questioned, bolting upright in her seat and glancing quickly behind them.
“Hold on tight.” Ronin gripped the steering wheel, preparing for the worst that was sure to come. “They’ve found us.”
FOUR
Thea rubbed her eyes in an attempt to remove the last remnants of sleep. The interior of the car was lit up bright as day, but it couldn’t be morning already. A quick glance through her window showed nothing but darkness against a haze of snow. She glanced over at Ronin. His knuckles whitened as his grip on the steering wheel tightened.
For a brief moment she thought she was still asleep, caught in some bizarre nightmare.
Her body lurched forward, the seat belt catching tightly around her waist and upper body.
Bright headlights flooded the inside of the car, blinding her as she turned to look behind them. This was very real.
Metal crunched against metal and she lurched forward again, feeling the car slide from one side of the road to the other.
“Brace yourself!” Ronin shouted. The car slammed into them again. His expert handling of the wheel kept them from going into a total spin. For now anyway.
Panic welled up in her chest. Her first instinct was prayer. She wasn’t sure if her mumbled words were aloud or in her mind, but they were from her heart. God was with her. He would keep them safe. She knew it. But the fear still threatened to overtake her.
Thea glanced over her shoulder and saw the car coming up on them again. Another crunch as the other car made impact with their rear fender. Ronin fought with the steering wheel, struggling to keep the car on the road. His eyes darted between the mirrors and the road ahead. His body tensed with every motion. A frown covered his features as the car moved up beside them, bumping them.
Side by side they raced at unsafe speeds down the icy road. In the darkness, she could barely make out the shapes of the two men in the car. A flash of metal caught her eyes as one waved what looked like a gun.
Ronin turned the wheel sharply, effectively ramming his car against theirs. The car slid away from them and then came back with force, screeching against them as each car pushed back against the other.
“This is crazy!” she yelled over the scraping of the cars.
She wasn’t sure if Ronin could hear her. She could barely hear herself.
Ronin sped up and for a few moments kept some distance between them.
“You’re going too fast.” Driving these speeds on the icy roads would only endanger them more.
“They are not going to give up.” He glanced at her quickly, his eyes filled with concern.
The car came up beside them again, ramming hard into the driver’s side.
“We’re going to go off the road.” He said it as fact, giving her some warning of what was about to happen. “Hold on.”
Thea felt the slide as the car rammed them one last time. There would be no controlling it. She watched helplessly as they crossed the edge of the pavement, plowing through guardrails and heading down a steep embankment. Thea grabbed tight at the edge of her seat with one hand and the handgrip with the other as the car jostled from side to side. Her head knocked against the passenger-side window, sending jolts of pain through her body.
Twigs and barbed wire scratched against her window as they flew through a fence and farther down the incline. The car jerked and then tipped. She closed her eyes as the car rolled hard to one side. Her seat belt pulled tight against her, digging into her skin as she was tossed in every direction as the roll continued.
The air bag shot out against her chest at the same time the car landed with a deafening thud and splash at the bottom. Water seeped over her feet.
They were in water. Freezing water.
Thea sucked in a deep breath and choked on the dusty, chemical-filled air. Stabs of pain shot through her lungs as she did so.
“Are you okay?” Ronin asked. She nodded, but even that slight movement sent more pain shooting through her body. She was nowhere near okay, but she was alive. That in itself was no small feat considering the situation. God had His hand on them. Of that she was sure.
“We need to go,” he said.
Movement seemed nearly impossible when every breath she sucked in brought more pain, but she knew they had little choice. If the men who had run them off the road hadn’t suffered a worse fate, they would be looking for them. They had left little doubt about their determination. The thought spurred her movements and she reached around to unclasp her seat belt. But pressing the release button repeatedly brought no satisfaction.
“It’s stuck.” She tugged as hard as she could. “My seat belt is stuck.”
Thea continued to struggle with the clasp. Panic welled up inside her along with visions of the water rising to cover her.
“It’s okay.” Ronin’s large, warm hands closed over hers, tugging with her, but to no avail.
His hand moved away and for a slight moment the thought darted through her mind that he meant to leave her. But within seconds he was back. Thea barely registered the flash of steel as the blade of a knife. She felt a tug and heard the slice through the cloth constraint. The release of pressure was instantaneous. She was free.
“You can breathe now.”
“I am breathing,” Thea replied as she released the breath she’d not realized she’d been holding.
Ronin didn’t argue as he reached over her, slashing through the now-deflated air bag to reach the glove compartment. It was too dark to make out the objective of his fumbling movements, but within seconds his attention was elsewhere.
“Grab anything you have to help stay warm.” He reached behind her and tossed her bag into her lap. His voice strong and steady, he continued, “If you have gloves or a scarf, put them on.”
She did as she was told, thankful that she’d thought to pack all the things he mentioned.
“Make sure you have your adrenaline auto-injector with you. We may not come back to the car.” The fact that he knew her so well and thought to remind her surprised her; she was in such a state of shock she wouldn’t have thought of it. His calmness soothed her.
She took a deep breath.
“Can you get your door open?” he asked.
Thea tested the handle and felt the pop of the latch as she pulled on it. “I think so.” With a slight nudge of her shoulder, the door creaked open.
“Good. Mine is jammed.”
Thea stepped out into water. Mixed with chunks of ice, the frozen slush seeped through her boots and soaked the bottom of her jeans. Thankfully, the water was only shin deep and after a few wobbly steps she was able to stand. She moved along the side of the car and could feel Ronin right behind her, his hands on her back and head, pushing her gently over into a hunched position behind the car.
“Stay low,” he whispered, tossing the blanket over her shoulders as he glanced above her head.
Snow still fell in huge flakes. Thea looked around them to see if the other car and the men in it were nearby, but visibility was limited. The wind blew in forceful gusts, sending the snow dancing in clouds of frozen swirls. He held her close as he tugged the blanket tight across her back and shoulders, pulling her against him in his temporary warmth. For a moment they were alone in their own little world.
“Keep this around your neck and up over your face,” he said. His gloved fingers brushed her cheek as he adjusted the knitted scarf.
Warmth filled her despite the freezing conditions. She allowed herself to feel safe and protected as she looked up into his eyes. Tiny bits of snow and ice caught in his lashes and along his brow as he glanced at her and then their surrounding
s.
“I think they went off on the other side of the road,” Ronin said.
Thea shivered. She was soaked, bruised and freezing, but she knew he would stop at nothing to keep her safe. That was what he had been trained for. To protect her. To lay down his life for her if need be. Just like those who had protected her before had done. Part of her wanted to pull away and run into the arms of those who wanted her dead. Just to end it all.
“Don’t let go of my hand.” The warmth of his hand closed around hers as he took it.
She gripped tightly. She wouldn’t let go. Despite the fear and pain, giving up now would make all that had happened before this moment be for nothing. Those who had already died deserved more than her quitting.
The wind gusted against them, making movement even more difficult. She was thankful for the wind and snow. The blizzard conditions could keep them hidden, if the freezing temperatures didn’t kill them first.
*
Ronin tugged Thea along behind him, her small hand lost in his. He felt her shiver, and with each shake of her body he willed every ounce of heat from his body through his gloved fingertips to try to give her some warmth. She was strong, probably stronger than she knew, but if he could take the pain for her, he would. She didn’t deserve this.
Thea stumbled and he slowed his pace. A full moon hung high in the sky, but it didn’t provide them much light through the heavy clouds. A constant sheet of snow blew against them. Each step felt like a battle through a wall of freezing foam. The wind made travel more difficult, but it also blew across their tracks, making it nearly impossible for anyone to follow them. Yet every time he glanced behind them, he could see beams of light slicing through the white haze. The eerie glow only reminded him of how much danger they were in.
Ronin pushed forward, half dragging her behind him. She stumbled again, but this time the full weight of her body pulled against him. He turned to realize she’d slid on the edge of a small ravine; her body hung like deadweight as she fought for a foothold to help herself up.
A strong gust of wind blew as Ronin tugged against her arm and he lost his footing as well, sending them both tumbling the short distance to the bottom.
“Are you okay?” he asked, gathering her up in his arms.
“I’m sorry. I should have been more careful.”
“It’s not your fault.” Ronin glanced around and spotted a tiny crevice against the ravine wall that was barely large enough for two people to squeeze into. “Can you make it over there?” he asked pointing toward the large, gnarled tree roots that hid the entrance.
At her nod they made their way. Ronin dusted off a spot of rocky ground and then sat with his back against the stone wall. He pulled her down beside him, wrapping the blanket around them both so that they were totally covered except for the small slit he left at his eyes. The heavy wool material would shield them from the snow and give them some warmth as it held in their combined body heat.
“We’ll rest for a few moments.”
She needed the time. He knew that, but just as certainly he knew if they stopped for very long, they’d be dead. The men who had run them off the road meant business. They were not here to take prisoners. Not the way they’d slammed into them.
It didn’t make sense. His mind raced. He had taken extra care to stay on back roads. Even though they were less maintained and more hazardous with the worsening weather, avoiding as much traffic as possible made it less likely they’d be noticed.
He’d been even more careful since they’d been on foot. He’d stayed near the creek until it had veered back toward the road. For the past half hour or so, they’d ducked in between trees and overgrowth in a densely wooded area.
She wiggled closer to him and he tightened his arm around her and held her close. The blanket cocooned them both. He could feel the warmth slowly beginning to heat his limbs.
“What’s that?” she asked.
“That” could mean any number of things, but knowing she was snuggled up against his left side, he was pretty sure of what she’d noticed.
“That’s my gun.”
“You have a gun?” Her voice shook. Whether from the cold or fear, he wasn’t sure. “You’ve had a gun all this time?”
“It was in the glove compartment.” He’d left it there when he’d gone to meet her. Maybe he shouldn’t have, but he hadn’t wanted to take the risk that she’d see it and be even more afraid of him than she had been.
“Are you going to shoot them?”
Would he? In a heartbeat.
“Only if I have to,” he replied.
He felt her relax against him again. Happy his answer seemed to have pacified her, his focus returned to the men who were hunting them. They’d steadily been gaining on them. Soon, they’d be within earshot.
It went against his every instinct to stay hidden. He could take them. He knew it. He would have the benefit of surprise. He had his gun. Although he was reluctant to use it in anything less than a life-and-death situation, he was reasonably sure it would come to that if they were found. However, they had probably been injured also. It served them right. He knew it was wrong to think it, but he only hoped they suffered more. Considering what they’d already put Thea through, he’d enjoy having a part in some of that suffering.
Her strength continued to amaze him. After what she’d experienced, he wouldn’t be surprised if she took his gun from him and shot them herself. There was only so much a person could take. He’d seen it before—what a person could be like when they reached that limit. Her father and sister had been taken from her, and she’d spent her teenage years moving from one home to another, never having time to form friendships or fall in love.
She’d lived in fear, waiting and wondering if someone would come for her.
She had to be pretty close to that edge.
That realization gave him the clarity to stay right where he was. More important than seeing the people against her punished was the fact he had to get her home safe. Hiding was the only option for now. If he showed himself, she’d be right behind him. He couldn’t put her in that danger. He had to protect her. He had to find out what she remembered of that night.
There was every chance he’d bring her more pain. When she discovered he’d come for her not only to protect, but also to guard and retrieve the knowledge she held in her mind, she might never trust him again. It was a chance he had to take.
He held her close. She trusted him now.
That would have to be enough.
FIVE
Thea huddled against Ronin, fighting the feelings of despair that sought to overtake her. She was cold. Every part of her body hurt. She’d really had about all she could take tonight. So many times through the years she’d thought she’d come to the end of her rope, but God had always given her strength to keep moving forward. She feared more than the men who were trying to kill her. She feared fear itself. There was really only one option available to her other than letting the fear take over.
She prayed and relaxed back into Ronin’s warmth.
She wiggled her fingers free from her glove just long enough to find the medallion buried in her pocket. Her father had given it to her. It was all she had left of him. Her fingers rubbed over the smooth metal, filling her mind with the memories she’d held dear for such a long time.
Seconds passed. The sounds of the wind and Ronin’s breathing against her ear were all she heard. He held her against his chest. The blanket covered her and gave her much-needed warmth but also left her in total darkness. It was easy to imagine she was invisible. If the men did come this way, they’d walk right on by without seeing them.
She huddled closer.
In the darkness she could only imagine. She imagined the men who were after them growing closer. Rustling sounds of branches creaking as the wind blew surrounded her. A large crack ripped through the night air as a branch, weighted with the heavy snow, broke. Suddenly sounds were all around her. But it was what she couldn’t hear
that scared her the most.
Thea tried to shake the fear away. She focused on her faith and the prayers she knew had been heard. She focused on Ronin’s strong arms around her. He’d protect her. That only gave her more reason to fear. Visions of the man who had died for her just last week flashed in her mind. After her shift at the diner, she’d returned to the safe house to find his body on the ground. He’d used his last ounce of strength to order her to run.
She’d run. She’d run and left him to die.
She would not run again. If she had to, she’d jump out and pummel the men herself with whatever she could find.
Despite her newfound determination, her body shook with a mixture of fear and cold. The temperature at least gave her something to focus on. Her toes had gone numb. She shuffled slightly, trying to get to a position where she could rub her feet, possibly bringing some circulation back.
“Be still,” Ronin whispered, his breath warm against her ear.
Seconds later she heard voices. At first she thought she’d only imagined the sound. The wind howling through the trees had an uncanny voice-like quality.
The crunching sound of footsteps through the snow accompanied the voices. She ducked as low as she could inside the confines of Ronin’s arms and froze in place. She barely dared breathe as the voices drew closer. Gone was all the fearlessness she’d felt only moments before.
“Do you still have it?” a low voice asked. The sound was so close it startled her and she flinched. Ronin motioned above them to the ledge she’d fallen from.
“No.” The single word was followed by barely coherent swearing. “This storm isn’t helping.”
“It’s not supposed to help you. You do know what you’re doing, don’t you?” The first voice grew more and more impatient.
For a brief moment there was only rustling sounds of clothing to indicate they were still near. Then the second voice spoke again. “I’ve lost it. I think it was coming from over in that direction.”
There were more crunching and rustling sounds. Thea held very still, hoping they weren’t pointing toward them.
