Wilderness Target

by Sharon Dunn

  “We’re closer to it at this point. I don’t want to risk leading them back to the lodge, and we know they’re probably waiting for us to come that way and head toward the van.”

  She nodded. “They won’t be expecting us to go the opposite way.”

  “When the others are able to radio for help, they’ll explain what happened. The authorities will send out rescue teams.”

  The furrow between Clarissa’s eyebrows deepened, indicating her level of anxiety. “If they get the radio working.”

  “They’re going to make it,” he said.

  She crossed her arms over her chest. “What about us? Have you hiked over that mountain before?”

  He saw the fear in her eyes. “A couple dozen times. I take advanced groups up there.”

  “I don’t know anything about mountain climbing.”

  The breeze ruffled her soft blond hair and again he was struck by how fragile she looked, an appearance that belied the core of iron beneath. He stepped toward her, brushing her cheek with his knuckles. “From what I’ve seen, you can handle it just fine.”

  Her full lips curved up in a faint smile. “I hope you’re right.”

  “Okay, let’s get going.” He turned to go.

  “Ezra?”

  He swung back around to face her. “Yes?”

  “Why are you doing this? Why are you helping me?”

  His commitment had gone beyond just a sense of responsibility to a client. He felt something much deeper for Clarissa. He couldn’t bring himself to say that, though, afraid of how she might react. “Because you deserve better than having some murderous jerk chase you through the woods. You deserve a shot at a normal life.”

  Her face glowed with affection and gratitude as she whispered a thank-you.

  Her soft words warmed his heart. “Let’s get moving.” He pivoted and pushed through the trees.

  They walked until they came to a shallow stream.

  “You still have your canteen with you?”

  She slipped the pack off and searched until she found both the canteen and the water purifier. “There’s no more food left in here.”

  “I can take care of that. Why don’t you fill up the canteen? I need to orient myself and figure how far we are from the trailhead.”

  He slipped around a bend in the creek to determine where they were on the mountain. His last image of Clarissa before he stepped out of view was of her bending over the creek, dipping the canteen in the water. The evening light played on her creamy skin and brought out the gold in her hair.

  He’d wandered about a hundred yards into the forest when instinct told him it was a mistake to leave Clarissa alone even for a few minutes.

  ELEVEN

  Wind, birds, the creaking of the branches—all the sounds of the forest calmed Clarissa as the cool creek water flowed over her hands. She knew she couldn’t ever totally let her guard down. Max and his hired thugs would figure out which way they’d gone soon enough. For a brief moment, though, she could stop and catch her breath.

  She straightened up, wiped her forehead and twisted the cap on the canteen. She couldn’t comprehend why Ezra was so willing to stay with her, to endure all this, or why the others had, for the most part, been willing to forgive her.

  She heard a noise and glanced up. Across the creek, one of Max’s thugs stood leering down at her. He was a square-jawed man with big teeth. “I knew you’d need water sooner or later.”

  Terror slammed against her with the force of a truck. She wheezed in air as she scrambled to her feet.

  He splashed through the shallow stream and grabbed her, yanking her toward him. He pressed his face close to hers. “Did you think I’d give up that easily? I’ve been moving up and down this river for the past hour.”

  She struggled to get away. He tightened his grip on her.

  Though fear nearly made her knees buckle, Clarissa narrowed her eyes at her assailant. “What are you going to do?” She spoke through clenched teeth to hide how afraid she was.

  “I think you know.” His gruff voice pelted her.

  She softened her expression, allowing him to see some of her fear. The tactic made him loosen his grip on her as a sneer of delight formed on his face.

  Taking advantage of his distraction, she kicked him hard in the shin. When he let go of her, she whirled away and tried to dart toward the forest, but he grabbed her shirt collar and pulled her back. She tried to angle away.

  The man turned slightly, as though he’d heard something, and then he crumpled to the ground. Ezra stood facing her as the man lay gasping for air. Ezra landed another blow. The thug stopped moving.

  “You’ll have to show me how to do that sometime.” She tried to sound normal, but her voice gave away how the assault had shaken her.

  Ezra pulled her into a quick hug, holding her close. If only she could stay in the safety of his arms! But the man on the ground started to stir.

  Ezra released her, then brushed her cheek lightly. “We’ve gotta go.”

  She nodded.

  He scooped the canteen and backpack off the ground, glancing up and down the stream. “Did you see his four-wheeler anywhere?”

  She shook her head. “He said he’d been walking up and down the river looking for us.”

  “Maybe we’ll get lucky, huh?” Ezra fastened on her backpack. “You go in front of me.”

  The man on the ground moaned and rolled over on his side.

  They ran through the night until it grew completely dark. Finally, Ezra stopped, dumping the backpack on the ground. “I’ll go find us some dinner. Build a fire, but keep it small. We don’t want to give away our position.”

  Clarissa gathered kindling and pulled the matches from her pack. Ezra would probably consider this cheating when it came to building a fire. She smiled at the idea. The days when their survival had been only a lesson seemed like a million miles away. She kept the fire low, warming her hands over the flames.

  Ezra returned with an animal already skinned and on a stick. “Squirrel.”

  “I won’t complain.”

  “Just pretend it’s a steak dinner,” he said.

  “I’m not that fond of steak. I’ll pretend it’s fettuccine with Alfredo sauce.”

  “That’s kind of a stretch,” he said.

  She appreciated the banter. They ate a meal of squirrel and water. The meat was sinewy but tasty. As empty as her stomach was, anything would have tasted good.

  Ezra took the last few bites of his meat and tossed the bones toward the fire. “We can only rest for a few hours. Night is our best time to keep moving.”

  Clarissa was unbelievably tired. Her legs hurt from all the running they’d been doing. But Ezra wasn’t complaining, so she wouldn’t, either.

  “I’m going to have to put the fire out. We can’t risk being spotted,” he said. He rose to his feet and kicked dirt on the fire until even the glowing embers disappeared. The night felt instantly colder. She crossed her arms over her body.

  Ezra sat down beside her. “There should be a space blanket in your pack.” He rifled through it until he recovered a tiny packet. He opened it and pulled out what looked like a giant piece of thin tinfoil. He draped it over her shoulders.

  She stared up at the stars. “Do you suppose the others were able to get the radio to work?”

  Ezra’s answer was slow in coming. “Hard to say. I haven’t seen any other helicopter in the sky besides Max’s.”

  Pain stabbed through her. “I just wish we could know for sure that they’re safe. After all they’ve been through, if Max did anything to them...” Anger stopped the words in her throat.

  “I think our strategy worked.” Ezra looked off into the distance. “Clarissa, I have to ask again—do you still not know why this man is after you?”r />
  She rested her face in her hands. “I don’t know. I keep trying to piece it together. It has to be connected to my work with him. He must think I know something or saw something.”

  “Did you?”

  “Not that I can recall. Nothing that was clearly illegal.” Her mind functioned like a camera, reviewing everything that she had done as his assistant. “There were some things with the bookkeeping that were off. Money would be deposited for the sale of a house, but then paperwork for the sale would come in a long time after the deposit.”

  “Anything else that you remember?”

  She pulled the blanket tighter as the evening chill settled around her. “It’s just all these jumbled pieces. My friend Sondra was supposed to pick me up in Discovery.” Clarissa’s throat tightened. “She used to work for Max, too. She never showed—that’s why I joined your class.”

  Clarissa placed her hand over her heart as tears welled in her eyes. “I saw a newspaper at the lodge. She was found dead just outside of town....” Clarissa couldn’t hold back the tears any longer. The days of trauma and everything that had taken place overwhelmed her. She covered her face with her hands and sobbed.

  Ezra’s hand gently touched her back. “So much of a burden for one person to carry alone.”

  She turned to face him. Compassion shone in his eyes. She leaned toward him, and he enveloped her in his arms. Her cheek brushed against the softness of his flannel shirt. He smelled faintly of soap and evergreens. Her crying subsided.

  She moved to pull away, but he held her tighter. “Stay,” he said. “We’ll both be warmer, and you can get some sleep.”

  His holding her felt awkward at first, but gradually she relaxed in his embrace.

  How long had it been since she’d been held by a man? Ten years. After the father of her baby had walked away, her heart had turned to stone. She’d made a vow never to let anyone in again. As she rested her cheek against Ezra’s shoulder, she felt that hardness being chipped away.

  “You know, Clarissa, you could have shared some of this with me right away. You don’t have to go through everything alone.”

  “Guess it’s just a habit. My father died when I was five. I’ve been taking care of myself ever since.”

  “That’s just not right.” She caught the tremble of emotion in Ezra’s voice.

  The fatigue from the day and all the running they had done weighted her muscles. Her eyelids grew heavy. She fell asleep to the steady rhythm of Ezra’s breathing, feeling warm and safe despite the uncertainty that loomed over their lives.

  * * *

  Ezra leaned back against the tree and closed his eyes. He slept lightly, waking often to evaluate if any threat was close. Any out-of-place noise or a light even in the distance would mean they’d have to run. The man they’d disabled by the river had probably figured out where they were going. He would tell the others.

  Clarissa slept comfortably in Ezra’s arms. She’d stiffened when he had first wrapped his arm around her. He hadn’t meant to make her uncomfortable. His invitation had been purely practical. They needed to stay warm. But now as he held her, he liked feeling the softness of her hair on his chin and the way she smelled like the air after a spring rain.

  Even with the flow of good feelings, he had to remind himself that Clarissa was nothing like Emma. Not every woman would hurt him like she had. He wanted to believe that.

  He still felt a sense of indignation about what Clarissa had shared with him. She had been without a family since she was five. He could only imagine what she had been through. She deserved so much better, deserved a chance at a happy life.

  He dozed for a while, but awoke to a droning sound in the distance. He couldn’t see the lights of the helicopter, but he could hear it.

  He sat up straighter. “Clarissa, wake up.”

  “Hmm?” She still wasn’t coherent.

  He pulled away from her and pushed himself to his feet. “They’re around here. I can hear them.”

  “I don’t hear anything.” Her voice was still a little groggy, but she rose to her feet and stuffed the space blanket in the backpack. “What did you hear?”

  “Listen,” he whispered.

  She leaned against him, not moving or talking. A gasp escaped her lips as she noticed the sound of the helicopter blades. “How far away do you think it is?”

  Why couldn’t he see the chopper yet? It must be behind the trees or the rock formation to the west. “Sounds like it’s some distance off.” He couldn’t discern what direction the sound was coming from. “We’ve got time, but we’d better get moving.” He put the backpack on and started walking. There wasn’t a huge amount of trees this close to the rock formation, so they’d need the cover of darkness to hide them. It was a good thing he could get around at night in these woods just as easily as if it were daytime. He headed in the general direction of the mountain, glancing over his shoulder to make sure Clarissa was keeping up.

  The mechanical chopper noise became more oppressive, and the lights of the chopper came into view, changing elevation and directions as it searched for them. In this open field, they’d be too easy to spot. They needed to get to the cover of the trees before they were seen.

  “Hurry.” He reached back and grabbed Clarissa’s hand as he increased their pace. They were both in dark clothes and not using flashlights. The helicopter would almost have to be on top of them before they would be noticed.

  The forest seemed to move farther away the harder they ran. If they could get into the trees, they wouldn’t be spotted at all.

  The chopper veered toward them suddenly, catching them in the bright headlights. The wind created from the rotation of the blades swirled around them. The trees were still a hundred yards away.

  Ezra could make out the silhouette of a man in the open door to the chopper as it whirled around and hovered. He barely heard the first rifle shot above the clang of the engines as he wrapped his arm around Clarissa and pulled her to the ground.

  The second rifle shot tore through the backpack. Ezra heard the ting of metal being hit, probably the canteen absorbing the bullet. Cold water soaking the back of his shirt confirmed his theory.

  They crawled wounded-soldier style toward a ditch. The helicopter gained elevation and turned, trying to maneuver to get a better angle on them. Ezra grabbed Clarissa’s shirt. “Run as fast as you can. Hit the ground when you need to.”

  “Aren’t you coming with me?”

  “Two targets are harder to hit than one. I’ll catch up with you in the trees.”

  She hesitated. The helicopter descended and started to move in.

  “We don’t have time to discuss this,” he said. “Stay low. I’ll run out first so they’ll go after me.”

  He veered away from her and pushed himself to his feet. Hopefully, the chopper would target him, and she’d have a chance to get to the forest.

  From the corner of his eye, he watched as Clarissa ran fifty feet and dived to the ground. He did the same. As the helicopter loomed closer, the clanging engine noises and whirring of the blades pressed in around him. He couldn’t see Clarissa anymore. Up ahead, the trees seemed to be a million miles away. The chopper sounded as if it was right on top of him. He burst to his feet and ran a short distance.

  The rifleman got off a shot that came dangerously close to hitting him. Ezra zigzagged as the edge of the forest drew ever closer. A shot sounded some distance from him. If he could stay out of the lights of the chopper, he might make it.

  He still couldn’t spot Clarissa. He hoped it hadn’t been a mistake to split up. He was within twenty feet of the trees now. He willed his legs to pump harder. The helicopter rose up behind him. As he stepped into the cover of the woods, the chopper gained more altitude. He ran toward the thicker trees. Though he could still hear the helicopter, it grew fainter. The pilot
was circling around the forest, waiting for him to come out, or the tree cover to thin enough to get a shot.

  Ezra turned his attention to finding Clarissa. He darted from tree to tree, moving in the general direction of where she might have entered the forest. He called her name, feeling a rising sense of panic when she didn’t answer.

  Though his visibility was limited in the darkness, he didn’t dare turn the flashlight on. The chopper was still hovering above him. He searched the trees, shrouded in shadow, and called her name one more time as he ran.

  After about five minutes, he stopped, hoping to hear her voice. The noise of the helicopter had ended. He feared the thugs had touched down and decided to try to find them in the forest on foot. Ezra needed to locate Clarissa quickly—and pray that Max and his henchmen hadn’t gotten to her first.

  TWELVE

  Clarissa wove through the trees, moving in the direction Ezra should have gone. She refused to give in to the fear that teased the corners of her mind, telling her she’d never see him again. She had to find him. From what she could tell, the forest stretched out for miles. Her plan had been to stay close to the edge where they’d both entered, but what if he had been driven deeper into the woods by the helicopter?

  She stared up at the night sky. Stars twinkled back at her. The chopper noise had faded some time ago. She called Ezra’s name and waited for a response. The silence fed her anxiety.

  Then she heard a voice. Her renewed hope was quickly dashed when she heard a second voice answer. Max’s men were on the ground, searching the forest.

  Taking quick light steps, she hid behind a large tree. She pressed her back against the rough bark and held her breath. It was hard to tell how far away the men were. Their voices seemed to echo, fade and then grow louder. She shivered from fear, squeezing her eyes shut and focusing on her breathing. She heard noises that could be someone creeping past her about twenty feet away.

  Clarissa pressed harder against the rough bark of the tree and looked at the sky peeking through the tree canopy.