She was jerked back as her attacker grabbed her by the collar. He clamped his hands on her shoulders, seeking to push her under in the shallow water.
She twisted free by angling her body to one side. She ran until she was in calf-deep water. The would-be assassin grabbed the hem of her hoodie. As she struggled to get away, she heard Joseph plunging back through the water.
Joseph landed a blow across the man’s face and then to the stomach. The man groaned and doubled over. Joseph clutched the sleeve of her hoodie and guided her toward the shore. The shallow water weighed on her legs as she pushed through, until her feet touched the hard surface of the beach.
She glanced over her shoulder as they bolted toward the brush. The attacker had recovered and had just stepped on the shore.
Sierra sprinted beside Joseph as the brush turned to evergreen forest. They ran for at least ten minutes. She’d grown up exploring these woods, but it was much harder to navigate in the dark.
She stopped for a moment to catch her breath. “Do you know where you’re going?”
Joseph bent over, resting his hands on his knees and sucking air between each word. “Maybe you could help me. I’m new in town, remember?”
Pounding footsteps behind them told her they needed to keep running. Sierra took the lead, zigzagging around trees, searching for a landmark that would orient her.
If she could figure out where the road was, they might be able to get back to her car and escape. As they darted through the evergreens, their pursuer stayed about ten paces behind them.
Fatigue settled into her leg muscles. She shivered from being soaking wet. Though it was summer, the nighttime temperatures only made her colder.
Joseph grabbed her and pushed her to the ground. Fear shot through her. Had he just been waiting for a chance to do her harm? They’d landed in a shallow ditch.
He signaled for her to be quiet as he pressed low to the ground.
Their pursuer ran past. So that’s why he’d knocked her down.
They waited until their pursuer disappeared into the trees and his footsteps faded in the distance.
Joseph jumped to his feet. “He might double back when he figures out we lost him. Where are we going?”
She glanced around, recognizing a rock outcropping though it was covered in shadows. “I think I can get us back to the road.”
She sprinted uphill, still cold, still out of breath. The ground leveled off. Now that she knew where she was, she ran faster. Joseph kept pace with her.
She took in a deep breath when her feet touched the hard-packed dirt of the country road. She’d parked on a shoulder just around the curve. Sierra sprinted as a sense of relief filled her. In less than a half hour, she’d be back at her place, sitting in dry clothes in front of the fire. She’d be safe, but she still didn’t know about Trevor. She’d have to tell the police about the attack. If Trevor wasn’t back at his foster home with his sister, maybe the police could find him. Maybe they would be able to figure out if he had set her up.
A question raged through her head as her feet pounded on the road. Why was that man in the baseball hat so bent on killing her? The question made her shudder. With God’s help, she would get over the attack.
She rounded the curve to where her car was sitting, and slowed her pace as she drew nearer to it.
Joseph came up beside her. “Looks like they slashed your tires.”
Despair spread through her like liquid poured on a napkin. She kicked one of the tires. “Guess they wanted to make sure I couldn’t get out of here.” The notion sent a whole new wave of fear through her. The man she’d seen earlier with the drugs must have done this to her tires while Baseball Hat chased them.
A crashing sound in the trees down below signaled that the attacker was back on their trail.
They needed to get off the road before they were spotted.
Joseph pivoted and headed back toward the shore with only a vague plan in his head. They weren’t going to outrun this guy. Joseph had lost his gun somewhere in the water. They had to find a hiding place. This guy was persistent beyond anything that made sense.
They came out beside the boat that had been wrecked on the shore. It was a big boat with a belowdecks area. Lots of places to hide and take a man by surprise if needed.
With Sierra at his heels, he climbed the ladder and slipped below deck.
She followed him. “Don’t you think he’ll look in here?”
“We’ll be able to hear him if he comes on deck. It’s two against one in a confined space. We can take him by surprise. Let’s see if we can find a good hiding place.”
Below deck consisted of several rooms, including what must have been a galley kitchen at one time, though it looked like it had been scavenged over the years. A skeleton of a counter remained. Sections of the countertop had been pulled off. Doors were missing from the cupboards. A dirty frying pan lay on the floor.
“I don’t see a place to hide.” Sierra paced through the rooms.
The deck above them creaked. Both of them tilted their heads. Could be the wind buffeting the dilapidated structure. The old boat had all sorts of creaking and groaning going on.
Maybe it had been a mistake to come down here. Still, it seemed like the best way to shake or subdue their pursuer.
More creaking surrounded them, and then the distinct tapping of footsteps above them indicated someone was on deck. Joseph’s gaze darted around the room. In a little alcove that had probably been a pantry, he spotted a tarp and pieces of wood.
More footsteps above them.
He ran over and lifted the tarp. She slipped under. He piled some boards on top to make it look haphazard. Then he nestled in beside Sierra.
“We only take him if we have to,” he said. The better scenario would be for the assassin to give up. Taking the man out meant Joseph’s cover might be blown.
They were squeezed into the tight space, their shoulders pressing against each other’s. He could hear her breathing in the dark. Not much light got below deck this time of night. As far as he knew, the pursuer didn’t have a flashlight with him.
The pursuer’s footsteps echoed as he moved through the belowdeck rooms.
Dust filled Joseph’s nose, causing a tickling sensation.
The footsteps drew closer. The pursuer was in the galley. There was a scratching sound and then more footsteps as the man moved around the room.
Joseph closed his eyes and counted. If he thought about how badly he wanted to sneeze, it would only make things worse. The gentle expansion and collapse of Sierra’s body where it pressed against him stopped. She must be holding her breath.
The man took several steps toward them. His feet scratched the dirty floor as if he was turning in a circle.
Silence descended like a shroud. Joseph didn’t dare even swallow for fear of being found. Every muscle in his body tensed. He was ready to jump the guy if he had to.
The man let out a humph noise, and then his footsteps retreated. They waited, still as statues, silent as the night while the footsteps clapped the boards below deck and then creaked above them.
They waited squeezed together in the tight space, not daring to move. Sierra’s hair smelled like the lake. Their damp shoulders touched.
Minutes passed. He lifted his gaze upward. Was the man perched outside, ready to pounce on them once they emerged one by one?
Sierra twitched. She let out a breath. “I think he’s gone,” she whispered.
He