Turbulence by Dana Mentink

Author:Dana Mentink
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2011-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

ELEVEN

Paul moved in the direction he figured must be north, toward the side of the mountain where they’d crashed, the feel of Maddie’s kiss still tingling through him like sparks of light. The connection he’d always felt to her was just as strong as ever, and he feared the terrible longing would be with him until his last breath. Doubt surged through him in angry waves. Had he done the right thing, leaving her with Jaden? Could she protect herself if he turned out to be after the heart? He wished he had the certainty back, the surety he’d enjoyed in the emergency room. His training, his skills, his natural ability to diagnose quickly and act with precision. Where had all that confidence gone?

There was no time to ruminate. He had to somehow catch the attention of the gunman long enough to draw him away from Maddie and Jaden. He’d heard the engine start up again. Paul pulled out the light stick and made sure the glow was not screened by the trees.

Hey, fella. Here I am. Come and get me.

He stayed out in the open, every so often stepping back behind the trees to scan the horizon for any signs of pursuit, wishing he had a pair of binoculars. The light waned as the chemicals inside wore down.

Desperately, he climbed to a pinnacle of rock and stood there, praying the faint light would be enough.

The snowmobile pulled out from behind one of the tent cabins they’d just abandoned. The driver stopped, engine idling.

He’s thinking. Trying to read the situation and the tracks in the snow. Just like the mountain lion sizing up his prey.

If he went in the direction Jaden and Maddie had taken, what would Paul do? There wouldn’t be time to reach them before the shooter did. Would they find someplace to hide? The fear clawed at his gut. If he yelled, set off the flare in his emergency pack, the guy might sense it was a distraction and go for the other two.

He forced himself to breathe, fists tight. It was as if he could feel the shooter thinking, reasoning out the most logical way to kill them all.

Paul looked around desperately for something to do, some course of action that might help. His eyes fastened on a wheel-shaped rock nestled precariously in a crack. He crouched down, concealed now behind a snow-covered stump, and pushed and pried at the rock. Though his back was on fire, he forced the rock back and forth until it began to come loose. He kept at it until it gave way, taking with it a cascade of rock and rubble that slid down the precipice, dislodging a river of snow as it did so.

It didn’t get far. The loosened debris slid only a few yards before its momentum was checked by the blanket of snow below. Paul was about to look for another stone to loosen when he heard the motor revving.

He stood quickly, making sure the light was visible and the red backpack.

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