One #3
Jackson silently thanked God and bailed out of the SUV.
He grabbed his cowboy hat from the front passenger seat and settled it on his head.
He stepped back from the vehicle, and without hesitation, shut the door and ran straight into the woods.
He’d left the flashing lights on, hoping they’d be back long before the car battery died.
He wanted Nina to have the lights as a beacon.
The pine scent was soothing as it mixed with the cool September air. He quickly made his way through the towering trees, searching for signs of movement. He was sure Nina would be heading toward him very soon.
He didn’t go too far, continuing to scan the area. A full five minutes passed before he noticed some moving branches. He turned to walk in that direction.
From there it didn’t take long to catch a glimpse of Nina’s pale face framed by her riot of red curls as she ran out from between two trees. The look of panic on her face gave him pause.
Then he heard the sharp retort of gunfire from somewhere behind her.
“Police!” He pulled his weapon and sprinted toward Nina. She didn’t look back but darted from side to side, clearly trying to make herself less of a target. “Throw down your weapon!” he shouted.
There was no response, not that he’d truly expected one. Bad guys generally ignored law enforcement demands.
Nina put on a burst of speed, throwing herself into his arms. “He—he’s back there!”
Jackson pulled her behind a large pine, holding her close with one arm, while parting the pine branches with his gun hand. He didn’t see anyone.
At least, not yet.
Time to move. He lowered his mouth to speak into her ear. “Head for the SUV. I’ll cover you from behind.”
She shook her head, gasping for breath and frozen in panic. He hoped he didn’t have to carry her the rest of the way.
“Please, Nina, go! We need to get out of here.”
She abruptly nodded and pulled out of his grasp. She ran forward, stumbling a bit but didn’t fall. He thew one last glance at the direction the gunfire had originated, then rushed forward to follow Nina.
Another crack of gunfire rang out. Jackson ducked, turned and returned fire despite the fact he couldn’t see anything. His goal was to hold the gunman back long enough for Nina to reach the SUV.
“Jackson!” Nina’s gasping shout was faint. “Are you hit?”
“No, just go!” While he appreciated her concern, he needed her to be safe. He caught a glimpse of her pale green blouse as she climbed the culvert to reach the road.
He put on a burst of speed to catch up. He didn’t hear any more gunfire, which wasn’t necessarily reassuring. He caught up to Nina, relieved to see she was sitting low in the front passenger seat.
Going around the back of the SUV, he wrenched open the driver’s-side door. That was when he noticed a pair of headlights coming toward them in the distance.
Friend or foe? He decided to assume the latter as he latched his seat belt and put the car in Drive. He pulled away from the side of the road, punching the gas. The bright headlights lights grew larger by the second. Extra bright lights. The driver was using his high beams on purpose.
Definitely foe, he thought grimly. He looked away from the painfully bright headlamps and sped forward, hoping to pass the vehicle.
Within seconds more gunfire exploded in the night. Slugs peppered his vehicle, shattering the windshield. “Get down!”
Driving blind now, he slouched low and kept his foot on the gas, praying the engine wasn’t hit. The oncoming vehicle that he thought was a huge truck zoomed past, leaving a deafening silence behind.
Had the driver seen them? Or had he been going too fast? If that was the gunman, how long before the truck turned around to come back and finish the job? Probably not long.
The SUV managed to make it a mile before the engine coughed and sputtered. He swallowed hard and pulled over to the side of the road. This time, he killed the lights, too.
“Jackson? What are we going to do now?” Nina’s voice was fearful, her eyes wide in the darkness.
“We’re heading back into the forest.” He slid out from behind the wheel and ran around to her side. He didn’t like it, knowing the gunman could still be out there, but they didn’t have a choice. “Let’s go. Hurry.”
She clearly didn’t want to but allowed herself to be tugged out of the useless vehicle and back into the trees. Soon, they were swallowed by the darkness and the towering pine trees.
“I don’t understand,” Nina whispered. “Why are we hiding in the woods?”
The question had barely left her mouth when the headlights returned. He didn’t answer, pulling her insistently deeper into the woods.
The headlights slowly grew brighter as the truck came into view. Nina gasped. She huddled beside him, and they watched in horror as the occupants of the truck opened fire on the SUV, pounding it with gunfire until there was nothing left but a damaged hulk of a frame peppered with bullet holes.
That’s why, he thought grimly. Whoever was inside that truck had wanted to be sure they were both dead.