Jennie shook her head sadly. “So you punish Laura? She was innocent.”
“Innocent?” He snarled the word at her. “She wouldn’t give me the time of day. Every time I tried to talk to her, she just turned up her nose at me.”
Understanding dawned. “Oh, so you finally met a woman who didn’t want you back and you couldn’t handle it. She was Max’s wife. She wasn’t yours. And don’t you know that when a woman says ‘no’ that means ‘no’?”
His gaze narrowed to angry slits. “How do you know she didn’t want it?”
Jennie couldn’t contain the anger surging through her. “Are you really that arrogant to think she wanted you? You’re the reason she lost her mind, the reason she killed herself.”
A muscle ticked in his jaw. He turned away. “I had to show Max that he couldn’t stop me from doing whatever I wanted. I had to punish him for everything he did to me. I wanted him to hurt the way he made me hurt.”
Jennie let out a snort. This guy really believed Max had done him wrong, that he had the right to abuse Laura and Emily.
“Max never did anything to you. He was just a child when your mother married his father. If you wanted to punish someone, you should have gone after your mother. She was the one who abandoned you and sent you away, not Max.”
He slapped her across the cheek.
Jennie cried out, cringing away from the blow.
“You leave my mother out of this.”
She turned back to him. “Why Emily?” she whispered. “She’s just a child. An innocent child.”
To Jennie’s surprise, something that looked like remorse flashed across his face before it quickly disappeared.
“I never meant to hurt Emily,” he whispered. “She’s such a sweet girl. I never even meant to touch her, but she’s so pretty…” He stared out the front window and across the parking lot.
“Change of plans,” he said abruptly, ramming the truck into gear. “This was a bad idea. We can’t wait here.”
The truck lurched forward, slamming Jennie back into the seat. She caught a glimpse of black and white as Lucky flew backwards into the tailgate. Fortunately, Ian was too focused on what was in front of him to notice Lucky in the back.
Since Ian was intent on the road, Jennie took advantage of his distraction and reached around and hooked up her seatbelt. With the state of mind he was in now, she had no intention of dying if he lost control and they slid off the road.
The truck sped back out onto the slick road and headed north.
Toward Canada.
Jennie couldn’t let him get to the border or he would kill her. She knew it with a certainty that made her heart race with trepidation. But how could she stop him?
Jennie glanced askance at Ian. He was intent on the road, not even paying attention to her. The gun sat on the seat next to his thigh. She glanced back at the road. A mixture of snow and ice covered the highway. Majestic pines rose up on either side of the road, some so large they disappeared into the sky. A clear blue sky.
Jennie glanced back at the road, looked at their surroundings. The Kootenai River wound around the right side of the road, coming quite close to the road at one point, then venturing away from it.
A gradual turn appeared up ahead. It followed along the edge of the river.
Perfect.
Though she didn’t want to drown, Jennie couldn’t pass up the chance to free herself. This might be her only opportunity. She knew there was a reason she’d hooked up her seatbelt.
As soon as they entered the turn, Jennie grabbed the steering wheel and yanked it toward her. Toward the river.
Ian swore as the truck spun out of control. He tried to right the vehicle, but it kept spinning until it slid off the road. Trees flew past in a blur. Snow drifts flashed by.
Jennie gasped when the vehicle splashed into the river, narrowly missing a large pine tree. Her seatbelt tightened around her, holding her firmly in place. Out of the corner of her eye, she spied Lucky flying through the air and landing in a huge snow drift off the side of the road.
Sorry Lucky. I hope you’re okay.
Ian moaned from across the seat.
Jennie glanced over at him. He was slumped over the steering wheel, his head bleeding profusely. He hadn’t been wearing his seatbelt. Too bad for him. She hoped it hurt.
The rapids snatched the truck up and tossed them swiftly downstream. Water began seeping up through the bottom of the doors, pooling around Jennie’s feet. Crap! She had to get out of the vehicle before the water sucked the entire truck beneath the surface. There was no way she would survive the icy cold water. She would drown in seconds.
Then she caught another glimpse of Lucky. The dog was barking and racing after the truck, following along the edge of the river.
Jennie closed her eyes. She sent Lucky a silent message.
Go find Max, Lucky. Hurry! We need his help.
The dog faltered. He drew to a halt. He watched the truck as it continued downstream. Then he turned and raced toward the highway.
Jennie glanced back at Ian. He moaned and slowly lifted his head. She had to get away from him before he retaliated.
She unclicked her seatbelt and began winding down the old manual window with the handle. Cold air washed into the vehicle, stinging her face with its icy breath.
“Get back here you bitch!”
Ian lunged across the seat, reaching for her, his fingers clawing at her legs as she jerked away and squeezed out the partially open window, pulling herself up onto the truck’s hood. He glared at her through the windshield as she climbed up onto the roof of the cab.
The swift rapids continued to drag the truck downstream into deeper water. The front of the truck started to sink into the icy river. Jennie glanced around. She spied a huge tree that lay across the river up ahead.
It was coming up fast.
Jennie clutched the edge of the truck, holding on for dear life, and braced herself for the impact.
The water slammed the truck into the tree. The vehicle whipped around, the back end colliding with the center of log. The truck snagged on some branches and held tight.
Jennie breathed a sigh of relief. If she could climb off the truck and onto the fallen log, she could work her way toward shore.
Toward freedom.
The truck rocked with the rapids, up and down, up and down, taunting Jennie, daring her to climb onto the log without falling into the water. But the truck had stopped sinking, which could only mean the water wasn’t as deep here and the tires were touching the bottom.
Ian leaned out the window, glaring up at her. Blood oozed down his forehead between his eyes, making him look even creepier than he already did with his shaved head. He lifted the gun and pointed it at her.
Jennie dived into the bed of the truck.
The gun went off.
A bullet whizzed past her head.
Jennie scrambled toward the tailgate.
Another shot echoed through the frozen wilderness.
Pain pierced her left thigh. Jennie gasped. He’d shot her!
She slid over the tailgate and fell onto the fallen log.
It was covered with snow and ice and she almost slipped off into the water. Jennie straddled the log, gasping as her feet and lower legs slid into the icy river. She began inching toward shore. Her leg throbbed where the bullet had speared her thigh. Trying her best to ignore it, she focused on the shore.
More shots followed. Bullets struck the tailgate and slammed into the water around her.
Then silence.
Was he out of bullets?
Jennie glanced back. Ian cursed and tossed the gun aside. He began pulling himself out the window after her.
Her heart in her throat, Jennie kept going, sliding carefully down the log toward the bank. Her feet were growing numb, her legs stiffening from the cold. She only hoped that when she reached the shore, her legs wouldn’t buckle underneath her.
The log jolted behind her. She glanced around. Ian
grinned evilly and began crawling across the log toward her.
Jennie moved faster, inching her body along the icy log toward the bank.
She was almost there.
Just a few more feet.
She reached the snow-covered bank and dragged herself off the log. Just as she’d feared, her frozen legs wouldn’t work and she fell into the snow. Grasping at the shrubs scattered along the riverbank, Jennie pulled herself across the ground toward the trees. And again. Pulled. Lay still. Pulled again. When at last she reached the trees, Jennie tried her legs again.
She wobbled, then stood.
She glanced back at the river in time to see Ian topple off the log into the rapids. Moments later his head emerged, farther downstream. Jennie watched as he grasped at branches and finally caught himself. Then he slowly pulled himself out of the icy river.
Jennie turned away, forcing her frozen feet and legs to move. One step. Then another. She had to get away from him. If he caught her, she was as good as dead.
Her heart in her throat, her gaze focused straight ahead, Jennie continued into the trees.
She didn’t look back.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
“They’re not here.” Max hissed out the words as despair began to sink in. “Dammit!”
They’d driven around the entire gas station and the café, but no truck matching the description of Ian’s was anywhere to be seen.
Where the hell had Ian taken her?
Agent Miller texted something in his phone. He glanced at Max. “Sheriff Sullivan’s only about ten minutes behind us. Why don’t you go check inside the gas station and the restaurant? I’ll wait here. If he’s inside, he’ll see you right away. It’s best if he doesn’t see me, or he’ll suspect you brought law enforcement. If you’re not back in five minutes, I’ll come looking for you.”
Max slid out of the 4Runner. “I’ll be right back.” Though he doubted Ian was here, he headed for the front of the store anyway. Maybe Ian had ditched the truck somewhere and come back…
Highly unlikely.
Max had a feeling they’d headed north, toward the border.
Less than three minutes later, he slid back behind the wheel. “No sign of them anywhere.”
“He’s heading for the border,” Agent Miller said matter-of-factly. “I just hope he hasn’t made it there yet.”
So did Max.
He put the 4Runner in gear and headed back out onto the highway.
They’d only traveled about five miles down the road when something streaked across the highway in front of them. Max slammed on the brakes, barely missing the animal. He pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road.
“Lucky,” he whispered in disbelief as the dog jumped up by his window. Jesus, he’d damn near run Lucky over.
Max sucked in a breath and shoved open his door. When he stepped out, Lucky barked excitedly, bouncing up and down. Gray slid out of the truck behind him and disappeared into the trees.
Agent Miller grabbed his arm.
“Look! Over there!” He pointed at the river.
The black truck had gone into the river and become snagged on a fallen log.
“Careful Max,” Agent Miller warned. “He could be anywhere. And he could be armed.”
Max didn’t care if Ian had an AK-47. Ian had taken Jennie and Max intended to get her back. He was done letting that son-of-a-bitch hurt him and those he loved.
Agent Miller cautiously opened his door and stepped out, gun drawn.
Max reached into his coat pocket for the .38, but it was gone. He must have dropped it somewhere. Then he remembered setting it aside when Emily had launched herself into his arms. He’d never picked it up again. The gun was still in Ian’s house.
Not that Max needed it. He’d take Ian down with his bare hands if necessary.
Max followed Lucky across the snow-covered ground to the bank of the river where the truck was stuck. It didn’t look like anyone was inside.
Barking, Lucky raced away into the trees.
Max glanced around the snow-covered landscape. Agent Miller stood beside him, looking around, his gun drawn and ready.
Two sets of tracks led away from the river and into the forest, one apparently following the other.
A trail of blood left a clear path into the trees.
Max quickly followed the blood trail.
“Max!” Agent Miller shouted. “Go back to your vehicle and wait inside.”
Ignoring him, Max kept going. He had to save Jennie. He hadn’t been able to save Laura, and he’d failed Emily. No one was stopping him from saving Jennie.
No one.
Agent Miller cursed behind him, but Max didn’t turn around to see if he followed.
Lucky’s bark echoed through the trees up ahead.
Max paused. He stared through the trees, searching for a black spot on Lucky’s coat that would indicate the dog’s whereabouts. But he saw nothing but snow and thick tree trunks trying to block his path. Some of those trunks were several feet wide. A person could easily crouch down and hide behind a trunk.
Max glanced down at the blood trail. It went farther into the trees. He followed. He could only hope Jennie managed to elude Ian long enough for Max to get to her. He trudged into the forest, plowing through the deep snow. After a few yards, once he’d come under the deep canopy of pines, the snow was only about a foot deep and in some places there was hardly any snow at all. Grateful for the thick cover of trees that prevented the snow from getting too deep and hindering his progress, he paused and glanced around again.
He’d lost the blood trail. Max turned in a slow circle. He had no idea who the blood was from. It could be Jennie’s blood. Or it could be Ian’s. It was possible that whoever was injured had stopped to wrap the wound, which would explain why the blood trail had vanished.
Then Max spotted a footprint to his right. But no blood.
He heard Agent Miller somewhere behind him and off to the left, but he didn’t stop to wait for the FBI agent. While Max surged ahead with his only thought to save Jennie, Agent Miller moved slowly and cautiously. Max didn’t have the other man’s patience or training. He just knew he had to get to Jennie.
He followed the footprints, heading deeper into the forest. A flock of magpies squawked from the trees above, letting out a loud ruckus that alerted the forest creatures—and anyone in front of him—of his presence.
Max paused again and listened.
Lucky barked from somewhere up ahead. Closer this time. Max caught a brief flash of black and white as the dog raced through the trees. Then something bigger flashed across his peripheral vision. A wolf?
Max stared. Was that Gray? He couldn’t be sure. But he hoped so. A wild wolf would kill Lucky in a heartbeat. But the flash had come and gone so quickly he wasn’t sure what it had been.
He continued on, following the footprints deeper into the trees. His breath puffed out, fogging up the air in front of his face. It was cold. He pulled his coat collar up around his neck. The sun didn’t penetrate back into the forest and he longed for the heat of the sun’s rays to warm his face.
A sound came from somewhere up ahead, off to his left. A scuffle?
Max cocked his head. Listened.
A snarl?
A grunt. That had been unmistakable. A human-sounding grunt of pain.
Then silence.
His heart pounded wildly. Was Jennie up there in the trees? Did Ian have her?
A muffled noise came from the same direction. Then what sounded like fallen branches crunching beneath someone’s feet. Someone—or something—was fleeing.
Max burst into a run, heading toward the sound, his heart in his throat. He had to get to Jennie before it was too late. Before Ian killed her.
There was a sudden blur of movement in front of him again. It crossed right in front of his path. Max stumbled and nearly fell. Righting himself, he continued on, following the flash of gray fur that had almost tripped him. Gray was heading straight for the are
a where the noise had come from. He watched her progress through the trees. The wolf was intent on her purpose.
On the hunt.
He only hoped she was hunting Ian.
Max followed the wolf, sensing Jennie wasn’t far ahead.
A sound came from his right. Max stumbled again as Lucky bounded through the trees and launched himself at Max, jumping up and down in front of him, barking excitedly.
“Down boy,” Max whispered. “Where’s Jennie?”
The dog whined softly, then burst into the trees after Gray.
Max glanced behind him, but Agent Miller was nowhere to be seen.
He hurried after Lucky.
He’d taken only three strides when something leapt out at him from behind a tree, slamming into him from the side and knocking him to the ground. Max grunted as his shoulder took the brunt of the fall, landing on the frozen ground and fallen pine needles. He’d fallen in an area without much snow to cushion the fall. He rolled away, struggling to his feet.
A fist pummeled him squarely in the jaw with a thwack! His head swung to the side from the force of the blow. His teeth rattled as his mouth slammed shut and pain spliced through his skull. He shook his head to clear it. Turned to face his attacker.
Another blow struck him, this one right in the center of his nose. Blood spurted out as his nose exploded. The blood ran down his chin and dripped onto his coat. Max sucked in a breath through his mouth.
Adrenaline surged through him. He lunged at his attacker, tackling the man back into the snow.
Ian’s hate-filled stare met his as they hit the ground together. Max raised his gloved fist.
Ian chuckled. “Long time no see, eh bro? I have to thank you for sharing Laura with me. But she wasn’t as good as Emily.”
Max saw red. He slammed his fist into Ian’s face.
Ian cackled. “It hurts, doesn’t it, when someone takes away something you love?”
Max struck him again. “You son-of-a-bitch!”
Ian grinned. A gurgling sound came from his throat.
Max yanked off his glove and punched him again. “That’s for Laura.”
And again. “That’s for Emily.”
Abducted (Unlikely Heroes Book 2) Page 27
