Big Sky Showdown. Sharon Dunn

feet.

      The shouts of the other boys filled the forest. Their position had been given away by the noise of the fight, and reinforcements were closing in.

      Zane kept a knee in Football Player’s back as he felt along his waistband for a gun. He retrieved a small pistol.

      Now the whole forest was full of the noise of their pursuers edging closer. He saw bobbing lights. The mechanical thunder of ATVs coming to life surrounded them.

      Heather pulled on his shoulder. “Hurry. They’re coming.”

      She let go of him and turned to head away from the bobbing lights. He stuffed the gun in his waistband and took a step toward her. From the ground where he lay, Football Player grabbed at his ankle. Zane stumbled, nearly falling on his face.

      Heather swung around and landed a kick to the kid’s shoulder so he let go of Zane’s foot. The crashing and breaking of branches alerted them to the closeness of their pursuers. They shot through forest and back up toward a sloping hill. The roar of ATVs pressed on them from all sides. When he glanced over his shoulder, he saw three sets of glowing white headlights. They’d never outrun these machines.

      He rerouted toward a cluster of trees. Heather followed him. Once they were deep into the forest, he stopped.

      He pointed at a tree. “Climb.”

      Heather must have realized hiding was their only option. Without a word, she dashed toward the tree and grabbed a low, sturdy branch. She climbed with agility and ease. He ran to a nearby tree and jumped up to grasp one of the lower branches. The ATVs grew louder. Headlights cut a wide swath through the trees. As artificial light filled the forest, he could make out the silhouette of Heather resting her belly on a stout branch and holding on to the smaller limbs of the tree. Evergreen boughs partially hid her, but wouldn’t provide enough protection if someone looked her way. He could only hope their pursuers kept their eyes on the ground.

      The machines surged by beneath them. He spotted two riders by themselves. A third ATV with a driver and a passenger zoomed by. The ATVs scooted up the hill, the noise of their engines growing faint. The bobbing flashlights told him there were some trackers on foot, as well. These searchers approached at a slower pace, shining their light over the brush and trees. The orange glow of the flashlights landed on the tree where Heather was hiding. Zane tensed. If they were spotted, they’d be shot like coons out of their trees even if it was just to injure them.

      In the distance, the ATVs slowed. They must have figured out they’d lost the trail and now they were backtracking. There were three young men with flashlights on foot. One of them lingered beneath the tree where Heather was hiding.

      He’d counted seven boys and young men chasing after them in all. As far as he could tell in the dark, none of them were Jordie. Though the passing of time would make it hard to recognize his brother even in daylight. He could only hope that his brother had escaped the control Willis had had on his life.

      The lone searcher continued to pace beneath Heather’s hiding place, shining the flashlight on nearby trees. Zane could no longer hear the noise of the other two foot soldiers who had split off and disappeared into the forest.

      Zane clenched his teeth. All they needed was for this tracker to leave, and they could scramble down and find a new hiding place or even escape.

      It sounded like the ATVs were doing circles, trying to pick up the trail. The man shone his light on the tree where Zane hid. The light glared in Zane’s face. He’d been spotted. Zane’s muscles tensed as the man reached for his gun.