Intensive Care Crisis by Karen Kirst

Author:Karen Kirst
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2019-05-13T14:16:58+00:00

TWELVE

Furious barking erupted somewhere to their left, and Audrey nearly jumped out of her skin. A light blinked on, flooding the house’s rear yard.

“Looks like we disturbed the farmer’s guard dog,” Julian said, increasing the pace.

The woods they were heading for weren’t far off. Would they reach them before the owner greeted them with a shotgun?

“I don’t have any treats to use as a bribe,” she said, picturing sharp canines and claws. “Where are we going, anyway? Once day breaks, there will be few places to hide. Are you familiar with Richlands?”

The farming community was farther inland than Jacksonville, and she hadn’t had cause to frequent it other than a yearly visit to the pumpkin patch.

They entered the woods, and the barking ceased. Audrey glanced over her shoulder. There were no irate home owners bearing down on them. Yet.

“I’ve visited friends who live in the area, and I’ve driven this direction when I’ve had flights to catch in and out of Jacksonville. Do I know exactly what’s on the other side of these woods? No.”

They dodged tree trunks and decaying logs. She wished she’d worn tennis shoes and workout gear to Lincoln and Chasity’s party. Adding to her body’s various aches and pains, her toes and heels throbbed in the ballet-style flats.

“We’ll find a place to hunker down for a few hours, then we’ll search for a way to contact my buddy, Brady. I wish we could use Craddock’s phone, but I don’t want to risk anyone tracing our location. When I do manage to speak to him, I’ll arrange for him to bring us cash and clothing.”

“And food.”

“Definitely.” A light laugh escaped, an unexpected and pleasant sound.

“I didn’t get a chance to ask what was in that room with you.”

A shudder worked its way down her spine. “Pit viper. Gerald called it a fer-de-lance.”

He squeezed her hand once. “You’re a brave woman.”

“I don’t feel like I am.”

“I’ve seen you in action. Believe me, you’ve handled everything that’s been thrown at you with pure grit.”

Tears smarted. “Before this, the most challenging thing in my life was watching my fiancé battle cancer and not being able to do a single thing to help him.”

“The young man in the photograph?”

“Seth.”

“He didn’t make it?”

“He fought long and hard for five years. Had several remissions, but it was persistent.”

“I’m sorry. Watching people suffer and being powerless to save them is devastating.”

“You did everything you could, Julian.”

“Did I?” His voice brimmed with self-reproach.

“What the media reports left out, my dad filled in. You risked your life pulling those men out of the burning wreckage and administering first aid until the EMTs arrived. What more could you have done?”

“Lots of things. Moved faster. Pulled them out in different order. Treated their injuries in a more efficient way.”

“You were injured, don’t forget, and probably suffering from shock.”

An owl hooted above their heads. Beneath their feet, twigs snapped and dead leaves crunched. They walked through the copse without speaking.

“I can’t wrap my head around the fact that I survived, and they didn’t.

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