The Marshal's Witness by Lena Diaz

Author:Lena Diaz
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2012-08-22T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

The sound of gunshots galvanized Jessica into action. She wasn’t about to sit and hide when someone was shooting at Ryan and he didn’t have a gun to defend himself.

She took off running in the direction Ryan had gone. About twenty minutes later, she kicked the pile of leaves and pinecones in front of her and plopped down on the same fallen pine tree she’d already passed.

Three times.

Ryan had shown her how to not leave a trail, but he’d never bothered to show her how to follow someone else’s trail. That was the first lesson she’d insist on once she caught up to him. Of course, that would come only after she yelled at him for giving her his gun and facing down a man with a rifle.

A bug flitted past her ear and she swatted it away. When another bug buzzed in front of her face, she jumped up and headed in what she hoped was a new direction, one that wouldn’t send her in a circle again.

“Jessica.”

Relief swamped her at the sound of Ryan’s deep voice behind her. She turned around, and barely had time to register the anxious look on his face before he grabbed her arm and towed her behind him.

He took off at a fast jog. Jessica struggled to keep up with his long stride. When she tried to ask him why they were running, he hissed for her to be quiet. A few minutes later they reached the place where he’d originally left her. He leaned down and grabbed the backpack and shrugged it on.

“Gun?” he asked, holding out his hand.

She handed it to him, surprised that she’d actually forgotten she was holding it. “What’s wrong? What happened back there?” She chewed her bottom lip and glanced back toward where they’d just come from. “Is the gunman still after us?”

“No, but we have to get moving in case there are others, in case anyone heard the shots. Remember what I taught you about being quiet, and leaving no trail?”

“Yes,” she whispered, automatically lowering her voice to match his.

He grabbed her hand and took off running again, practically dragging her behind him.

* * *

THEY RAN UNTIL Jessica’s side hurt so much she couldn’t run anymore. She’d barely recovered when Ryan grabbed her hand, and took off running again. He repeated that cycle twice more. The last time, impatient with how long Jessica was taking to recover from the most recent jaunt, Ryan scooped her up and threw her over his shoulder to keep her moving.

He refused to answer any questions and demanded her silence. His anxiety and sense of urgency had her anxiously watching the forest around them just as intently as he was.

She gasped for breath, almost wishing their pursuers would find them and put her out of her misery, when Ryan finally called a halt to their mad dash through the forest.

Jessica plopped down right where she was and lay spread-eagled on the ground. Her chest heaved, her pulse pounded in her ears, and she was so nauseated she abruptly sat up and started gagging.

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