by Milly Taiden
She screamed and turned the other direction to run. Another bullet hit a tree next to her. She came to screeching halt. She was trapped, had nowhere to go but...
Oh god. Was that even an option? She backed toward the bank. The water was deep enough to cover her body if she went under. But not enough to keep a bullet from injuring her.
When she put her foot on the edge, the ground crumbled away, rolling down the side. She fell forward, catching herself with her hands. The rifle rang out but didn’t hit the trees next to her.
Did that mean it went over her head, where she’d been standing before she fell? With her options narrowed to one, she took it. She pushed off and fell feet first into the water.
19
The water was damn cold in the river running through the state park, headed for the waterfall. She’d been expecting that. What she hadn’t been prepared for was the swiftness in which she was swept downstream.
When she surfaced she was already yards away from where she went in. She saw a form running through the woods, but the shooter was no match for her current method of transportation.
And it was a he. She was sure of it. Too tall and too big to be a female. It had to be Robert. How did he know where she was? Surely Nina wouldn’t have told him after the discussion with the police in the hospital room.
Far from the shooter, Alex focused on her next problem: getting out before reaching the waterfall. There was no way she’d survive a drop from that high. Boulders lay at the bottom ready to catch her. Not such a great idea. And her speed was increasing, quickly.
The flow picked up velocity, making her escape harder. She paddled and tried to grab onto rocks, sticks, or foliage dangling close. Nothing was in reach.
Suddenly, the water was gone from beneath her and she rolled over a low ledge, going under the freezing current. Now she remembered that small drop. As a kid, they used to float paper boats along here to watch what would happen when they went over. As expected, each boat drowned, well, each of hers did.
Before she surfaced, she slammed into a rock, knocking her ribs that were sensitive earlier. Now they hurt in earnest. She sucked in water and surfaced, coughing and gagging for air.
The area was stone-filled, turning into white water. Her speed picked up and she gasped for air, her body bouncing like a pinball from one target to another. The thunder of the falls reached her ears. She had to get out now.
The stream was shallower here, and she was able to put her feet down to maneuver somewhat. The water still pulled her along, determined to take her to her death.
At an exposed boulder she readied herself for, she swam as hard as she could to beach herself onto it. Her body slid sideways and up the smooth edge of the stone where she came to a rest.
On her stomach, gagging on water and panting, she let the sun warm her for a moment. The wind was quiet. Thank goodness for that.
Taking stock of herself, she started to laugh. Yeah, it sounded a little—a lot—hysterical, a little stress relieving. But dammit, she was alive. No bomb or bullet was taking her down. A wave splashed on her face, getting water up her nose. Okay, maybe water, though.
After getting her breath and strength back, she made her way along the bigger rocks to dry land and crawled up the bank. There she followed the worn path that trailed the river in the direction leading to the cascade.
The trail ended at a ranger station. Exactly where she needed to be. She looked back the direction she’d come to see if the shooter was tracking her, but she was a mile from her entry point. And there were places where the path veered away a distance before paralleling the stream again. He couldn’t reach her. She hoped.
With her ass in gear, she power walked until reaching the falls where she took a break.
Blowing out a deep breath, she pushed hair out of her face with her fingers. The area was just as nice as it had been. Now there were picnic tables on the flat ground below and observation stands at the top on both sides. It was pretty, but it was time to go.
With fear and common sense pushing her, she made it to the ranger station before the sun dipped below the trees.
Partially dry, she knocked on the office door and let herself in. A female ranger sat behind a desk on the other side of the door. When she saw Alex, she jumped up.
“Oh my lord, are you all right?” From a cabinet, the ranger pulled a green blanket and wrapped it around Alex. “What happened to you? Did you fall into the river?”
Chattering, Alex nodded. Without the sun on her in the forest, she’d become cold to the point of almost stopping. Luckily, the logical side of her brain had been working and she kept moving.
The ranger led her to a chair and sat her down. “Look up at me, hon.” Alex raised her chin. “As I thought, you’re going through shock. Your pupils are larger than they should be as well as your ashen skin.” She put another blanket around Alex. “Stay right there while I get you something hot to drink.”
Alex didn’t have the words to tell the lady she wasn’t going anywhere for a long time. Days, if she could help it.
The ranger returned with a mug of tea. “The coffee is old, so I thought tea would be better. It’s chamomile, so it should help to soothe you, too.” Alex took a sip and sighed as the warm liquid left a trail of heat down the middle of her.
After taking out a pad of paper and digging through her desk for a pen, the woman focused on her. “Can you tell me what all happened, hon? I have to write up an incident report.”
Alex frowned. “No, you don’t have to do that. It wasn’t that big of a deal.” Well, the guy shooting at her was, but not her bumpy maiden voyage down the river. Shit, she almost drowned. Okay, it was a big deal. “I changed my mind. Ready?”
Alex relayed the past couple hours of her life. When finished, the ranger’s eyes were as big as her own.
“You’re so lucky to be alive,” the lady said.
Alex snorted as she recalled the doctor saying the same thing. “You wouldn’t believe what happened to me this morning.” When the ranger paled, Alex waved it off. “Never mind. Just something at work.”
“All right,” the park representative said, “we need to get you someplace safe for the night. Are you fine staying in one of the rentals down the road?”
There was no way the shooter would find her in such a short time. She would be miles from Nina’s land. “Yeah, that would be fine.” She glanced at the landline. “Can I make a long-distance call to my cousin? She’s the one who owns the cabin I am—was—staying in.”
“Sure, hon. Not a problem.” The lady dragged the phone toward her. “Take as long as you need. I’ll be in the kitchen to give you some privacy.”
“Thank you.” Alex dialed Nina’s number, hoping she was in the office. The clock on the wall over the door to the kitchen read five after four. She hoped Nina was still at her desk. When she got her voicemail, she left a message to call the number on the caller ID if she got the message soon. She’d try her cousin’s cell phone next.
20
Alex sighed with relief when Nina picked up her cell phone. Alex was afraid her cousin wouldn’t answer because she didn’t recognize the number. Nina’s voice came through crackly with the spotty coverage.
“If this is a solicitor, I’m so blocking your number,” she said.
Despite her dire situation, Alex laughed. Nina always had a way of making her laugh. She was glad the lady was related to her. That way they would never be away from each other too long. The annual family gathering would make sure of that.
“Nina, it’s A-Alex.” She barely had the strength to talk.
“What’s the matter, girl? You sound tired. Everything okay up there?”
“Define okay and I’ll tell you.”
“Nuh uh. You’re scaring me, girl. Are you having some kind of delayed reaction from the bomb? Do I need to call 911?”
“No,” Alex said quickly, “don’t call anyone.” She took a second to figure out how to say she dodged death for a second ti
me today. “I fell into the river.”
“You what!? Oh my god. How could you fall in? We played there as kids.”
“Okay, technically, I jumped in.”
“What?! That’s worse. Are you sure you don’t have a concussion or something?”
“I was being chased.”
Nina was quiet for a second. “Chased by what? A bear? You know bears aren’t afraid of people up there. Tourists feed them too much.”
Alex rolled her eyes. “Yes, Nina, I remember that much.” Nina would be pissed when she accused her of telling Robert of the cabin. She had to word it correctly and her brain was swimming in a thick quagmire.
“Nina, who did you tell about me coming to the cabin?”
“I only told Mr. Sholes. Like we talked about. Why?” That didn’t make sense. How would Robert know about this place? Unless he was eavesdropping.
“Have you by chance brought Robert from accounting to the cabin or ever talked about it?” Alex asked.
“Robert from accounting? Why would I tell him?” Alex heard the disgust in Nina’s voice. Guess there was more than just her who didn’t care for the man’s unpleasant disposition.
“Whoever was chasing me had a rifle and was aiming at me.”
“What?!” she screamed. Alex heard a horn from Nina’s side of the line. “Hey, you prick. Pick a goddamn lane and stay in it. Stupid son of a bitch. Alex, oh my god. Who was shooting at you?”
“It’d have to be Robert. Who else could it be?” She started shaking uncontrollably.
“It’s okay, girlfriend. Calm down. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
“You what?” Alex didn’t think she heard right. “You’re here? You drove all the way up here!”
“Of course. You think I’m gonna let my favorite cousin party by herself all week? Hardly. Mr. Sholes let me leave early. We’ve got some talking to do. You and me.”
“We do?” Alex asked.
“Yes, ma’am, and you’re going to listen to what I have to say.”
Alex sighed. It had to be about Andrew. That was the only thing wrong. Except that someone was trying to kill her. “Oh, I’m not at the cabin anymore.”
“Where are you then?”
“I’m at the ranger station on the trail that goes to the waterfall. They’re putting me up somewhere safe.”
“That makes sense. Did cross my mind that you’d still be in danger. I know where that is. I’ll be there soon. Don’t go anywhere.”
“You got it, boss. My ass is planted in this chair.”
“Good. All your stuff is at my place, right?”
“Including groceries,” Alex replied.
“Yeah, okay. Sit tight. Be there in a minute.”
Alex hung up the landline, her shakes more under control now. She wrapped her hands around the mug of tea and sipped another warm swallow. She wondered about calling the police. Then she mentally slapped herself.
Park rangers were the police. Her father was pulled over once for speeding in the park. He griped that park rangers weren’t real cops and couldn’t give out tickets. The ranger proved him wrong and we bailed Dad out within a couple hours. Such grand memories of those times.
She laid her chin on her chest and let out a slow, deep breath. Next she knew, her head snapped up at the sound of voices. The ranger and Nina were talking.
Nina said something about taking care of her tonight and thanked the woman for letting us use the vacation rental for the night.
Her cousin hooked an arm under hers. “Okay, sunshine, time to get going.”
Alex couldn’t voice her gratitude to these two women. She would be nowhere without them.
Stepping outside, she was surprised by all the park vehicles and park-uniformed men and women standing around. “What’s going on?”
“Alex,” Nina said, “you had a killer chasing you through the woods. We’ve all seen that movie. Do you think they aren’t going to have a massive manhunt?”
“Oh,” she said. “I guess they would. I’m not thinking clearly.”
Nina open her car’s passenger door and helped Alex into the seat. “We’ll get you home and in a hot bath and you’ll be right as rain.”
“That sounds wonderful,” Alex mumbled. Nina got in and buckled up, starting the car. “Are we going to talk about Andrew?”
“Do you want to talk about Andrew?” They backed from the parking space and pulled onto the asphalt road.
Alex didn’t know what she wanted. Nix that. She did—a hot tub on full blast, a gallon of hot chocolate, and a fluffy pillow. And Andrew snuggled around her. She let out a sigh.
Nina commented, “I stopped by the cabin and got your stuff and the groceries. We’ll get you in a bath and I’ll cook up a bowl of mac and cheese and all the other healthy foods you bought.”
Alex wasn’t sure why, but Nina’s tone struck her as funny. She broke into giggles and then laughter that led to snorting. Her cousin shook her head.
The rentals were a mile up the main road, making them easy to get to. With Nina’s place, there were narrow bridges and deep ruts to pass through.
Nina turned right into a small parking area with three cabins spread out in the wooded area. Two cars were parked opposite where she stopped. So it was semi-private, which was fine by Alex. Being secluded at this moment didn’t seem as ideal as it had earlier in the day. Nina was right—she had seen that movie, too. She had no desire to be the dumb blonde who went into the basement no matter how loud you screamed for her not to.
“Let’s get you inside and in the tub. I’ll take care of everything else,” Nina cooed.
She owed Nina big time after this. She’d have to save up money and pay for them both to go to one of those resorts where women had a choice of men to “make them comfortable” for the duration of the vacation.
Andrew popped into her head. Her heart wasn’t interested in some strange man rubbing oil on her back, or her clit into a big O. It was only interested in one man.
21
Inside the state park’s rental cabin, the place was nice. Not overly homey since it was a rental, but it would do. Nina helped her settle into the small but clean bathroom.
The hot water felt so good. When she was at the grocery store earlier, she’d bought lavender bath oil and Nina had poured in half the bottle. It was pure heaven. She stretched out and let the heat slowly replace the chill in her bones.
For the second time that day, she realized that she could’ve been dead. She was lying in the same position as she was after the first attempt on her life. Except it was a tub of hot water instead of a hospital bed.
God, was that only this morning? It felt like months ago.
Opening her eyes, she heard Nina moving around in the room on the other side of the bathroom door. Soon after, the aroma of food made her stomach growl. She’d fallen asleep and her skin now resembled a prune, so she grabbed the towel and got out.
“Hey, girl,” Nina hollered out. “It’s about time. Thought you drowned.”
“Not funny,” Alex said. “Too close to home.”
“You’re right. Sorry,” she replied. “I put your stuff in the bedroom. Get comfy. Supper will be ready when you come out.”
Alex sucked in a deep breath. Food smelled so good, she almost said screw the clothes—she could eat in a towel. The image of Andrew in the hall outside his office this morning came to mind. Too bad she had been mad at him at that time. He was a feast for the eyes.
Slipping on her kitty pj’s, she pinned her hair up and headed for the kitchen. The scents were divine. Could she pick the best comfort food or what?
Nina had loaded plates with creamy mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, and bowls of chicken noodle soup. From the oven, she was pulling out a pan of sweet pastries and rolls.
“Oh my god, Nina,” Alex drawled, “you are my savior.” She grabbed a plate and bowl from the counter and sat at the small table tucked into a corner. With gusto like she’d never had, she dug in.
Nina l
aughed. “Slow down, lady. Don’t make me have to do the Heimlich on you. Third time would not be the charm.”
Caught off guard, Alex nearly spit soup across the table before she belted out a laugh. Finally calming down from slight hysterics, she said, “You know, that’s not funny. I could be dead.”
Nina snorted. “You laughed pretty damn hard for it not being funny.”
Alex brushed it off. “I’m still in shock. I’d laugh at a rock right now.”
“That’s not shock, my friend,” her cousin said. “That’s called being drunk.” With that she set a glass on the table and filled it with wine Alex had purchased at the Piggly.
Alex gasped. “Have I told you lately you’re a goddess?”
“A what?” Nina said.
“A goddess.”
“One more time. I like the sound of that.” Nina smiled. Alex rolled her eyes.
Finally seated, Nina joined in the meal. “It’s been so long since I’ve had mashed potatoes. God, they’re so good.”
“Did you put all the butter and garlic packet in?” Alex asked.
“You bet I did.” The ladies ate in quiet for a few moments, each in their own thoughts on the unprecedented day. Alex had so much jumbled with Andrew, the bomb, the shooter, Leslie. Her brain didn’t know where to stop spinning.
After a sip of wine and a glance at her watch, Nina sat back. “We have to talk about two things tonight.”
“Two,” Alex verified. “Which two?”
“While you were passed out at the ranger station—”
“I was not passed out,” Alex grumped. “I was sleeping.”
“Yeah, passed out,” Nina continued, “the ranger asked me to get some information from you when you were better.”
“Why didn’t she ask me then?” Alex questioned.
Nina replied, “She said she tried but you zoned out on her.”