But no one ever came.
And even then Hoyt, a few years younger, had tried to calm him down. He’d joked about the situation, saying it was a big adventure. Hoyt had always looked at the world like it was a bright and wonderful place.
But deep down Jared had known better.
They’d fed them a little at first, but after a while even that stopped. Jared and Hoyt had slowly starved to death in that closet. And even up to the end, when they’d been too weak to move, Hoyt had held out hope. But Jared had none. He’d realized they’d been fated to die just like their parents.
Until a golden eyed little girl stuck her head in the door and freed them …
Chapter 16
Sparrow saw the boat through the trees, maybe twenty or thirty yards ahead. She couldn't make out the number of men on board, but the more there were, the harder it would be for her to escape. Dammit, she hadn't counted on them being so close. The sun had barely risen on the horizon. And as the sun rose higher, her chances for escape would grow even dimmer.
At least the heavy exercise of walking through the mountainous trail and lugging the huge bag had kept her warm enough. She still had her knife tucked into her boot, so as long as Jared didn't wise up and check her, all she had to do was wait for a distraction.
They marched out of the trees and down to the shore, every pair of eyes on the boat locked on them. Sparrow gulped as her gaze locked in on the tallest one. He was huge. His skin a deep tan, his midnight hair hanging to his shoulders. But it was his eyes that held her. They were…empty.
Another one, smaller than the giant, but still larger than most men she'd seen, jumped from the boat into the water and waded onto the shore. He had long brown hair that ran into a neatly trimmed brown beard. He focused on her for a split second before turning his attention to Jared. She knew when he saw Hoyt because his entire demeanor shifted from curiosity to aggression. “Mother of God.”
Even though she’d had nothing to do with Hoyt’s injuries, she shifted her gaze to the river, knowing what was coming next.
“Who did this?”
Silence followed, and unable to contain herself any longer, Sparrow glanced back at the men. All of them were all staring at her. She wanted to scream out the truth, that she was innocent, that she’d never do such a thing. But she dropped her gaze to the ground. She had a part to play, that of the meek, defeated little girl. As soon as they dropped their guard, she'd be gone.
“No way.” The bearded man spoke again.
“She’s coming with me until I know the truth.” Jared's voice sent a shiver through her.
“Get them on the boat. I'm ready.”
“Thanks, Aaron. I patched him up, but he needs real medical attention.” Jared walked to the edge of the water, pulling her leash tight, and stopped at the edge of the boat. The giant lifted Hoyt from Jared and placed him in the boat. Jared turned to her, lifted her on board, and followed.
“Merc, put him here, on the blankets.” Aaron knelt on the floorboards.
“Wait. Make sure you put him on his side.” The boat shifted as Jared strode toward the others, leaving Sparrow with the choice to either follow or be thrown to the floor. The giant, Merc, gently placed Hoyt on the blankets.
The boat was unlike any she'd ever seen. It was camouflaged and big, like a cabin cruiser. The front of the boat boasted a metal platform where a large gun was mounted. Behind that was an open cabin with a steering wheel, and behind that a large open area with bench seating down the sides. They were arranging Hoyt to lay in the middle of the seats on the floor.
Aaron leaned over him, shined a light in his eyes and placed a hand on his head. “Jesus Christ, he's burning up. Did you give him anything?”
Jared shook his head. “All I had was morphine.”
“Riser, give me that syringe of antibiotics. Merc, get us the fuck out of here as fast as you can.” Riser pulled a syringe from the medical bag and Merc got behind the wheel. Jared pulled her over to the bench and pushed her down. He cut the rope holding them together and quickly tied it to a metal ring right on the edge of the boat. “Stay here.”
Not waiting for her to respond, Jared went to kneel beside his brother.
Merc backed the boat into the water and gunned it down the river. The water was choppy and fast flowing from last week’s storms, which had caused the river level to rise. The boat jumped and bumped through the rough water, but Merc didn't slow down.
“We’ve got to get his fever down. He might have a seizure if we don't. Maybe even permanent damage,” Aaron yelled.
Sparrow closed her eyes, praying that wasn't true. Hoyt had to make a full recovery. He had to for Jared's sake, and for her own.
“Jared, hand me that IV bag, Riser, hand me the meds,” Aaron spoke loudly enough to be heard over the sound of the boat’s engine. He worked efficiently, first sticking a needle in Hoyt’s arm and then feeding an IV into the back of his hand. He injected the syringe into that as well. “That should lower his temperature pretty fast. But it won't keep it down.”
“I think his wounds might be infected. I cleaned him up the best I could last night, but I just…” Jared dropped his head into his hands, his voice trailing off on a ragged grunt.
Riser placed a hand on Jared’s back. “Hey, man, you know Aaron is our best medic. He'll survive.”
“Damn right he will, now help me get these bandages off of him. I need to see the damage.”
The boat picked up speed. The river was wide and open for as far as Sparrow could see.
Aaron began cutting the bandages from Hoyt’s body.
“The chopper’s going to pick us up about five clicks from here. Hank loaned us a ranch house for you two to stay at and Dr. Jane is setting up for him there. You two can stay there as long as it takes for him to fully recover. That way we can keep this off the locals’ radar,” Riser said.
“Thank you.” The ragged edge to Jared’s voice tore at Sparrow’s heart. Yes, he'd treated her harshly, but despite thinking that she’d mutilated and tortured his brother, he hadn't really laid a hand on her. That spoke to his true nature more than anything else.
Any other man would have killed Sparrow long before now. The worst thing Jared had done to her was to make her desire him.
“Hang tight, brother,” Jared shouted. “We’ll be at the chopper in less than fifteen minutes.”
Their words registered. Fifteen minutes. If she got on that chopper, there would be no escape. And if Hoyt never woke up to profess her innocence…
A huge lump formed in her throat. It would destroy Jared for one thing, and he would never, ever believe her.
No, she needed to get as much distance from them as possible. Maybe one day, if Hoyt lived and found his way back to consciousness, Jared would realize the truth. But she’d realized how stupid her dream of finding a happily ever after with him had been. Sparrow was the white-trash daughter of a prostitute. Jared was not only the true heir to Crowe Mountain, but he was also a well-respected man in his own field.
Men like Jared Crowe didn't waste their time on scrawny little girls like Sparrow.
“Jared, these look great. I don't see any signs of infection.” Aaron's voice pulled Sparrow from her thoughts once more, and she watched as he prodded and poked at the wounds on Hoyt's chest.
Jared cleared his throat. “Those aren’t the ones I'm worried about.
Sparrow stiffened, her blood freezing in her veins. No way she wanted to be on this boat when they rolled Hoyt over. Have to escape.
“Five minutes,” Merc said.
“I'll get a shoulder. Jared, you get his hip. Aaron, make sure we don't damage anything.” Riser was already in action, reaching for Hoyt’s shoulder. The men moved as one, efficient and precise—the perfect team.
They got Hoyt onto his chest and Aaron began to peel the bandages from his back. Sparrow tensed, steeling herself for the explosion. Jared’s hand shot out and wrapped around Aaron's wrist. “Not from the top. Pull it up from the bo
ttom.”
Sparrow sucked in a breath and looked away. Jared left off the reason for his instructions. If Aaron peeled the bandages from the top down, he’d more than likely peel Hoyt’s skin from his back. Again.
She felt the violence building in the air and tried to focus on the muddy water. The trees. Anything but the horror coming. But the dread was forming around her, inside her. Everywhere. And Sparrow could no longer deny the pull to watch Jared as his brother’s back was revealed. Only Jared’s steady gaze wasn't locked on his brother. It was locked on her. Sparrow's heart stopped. His gaze communicated one single word—revenge.
“Jesus Christ.”
Jared looked away first and Sparrow was helpless to follow. Hoyt’s back looked worse—oozing red blood and pus.
“Shit. It's infected, all right.” Aaron rubbed a hand down his beard and Sparrow saw the worry in the small lines around his mouth.
“Chopper,” Merc called out from the cabin. Sparrow heard the bird coming before she saw it. Then the helicopter swerved around a bend in the river, circled over their boat, and led the way down river. Sparrow couldn’t make out a landing area, but the helicopter veered left and hovered a ways off the river before lowering down, seeming to disappear in the trees.
“We need to leave the dressings for now and let Dr. Jane handle it back home.”
“Whatever you think.” Jared ground out. The boat slowed and turned left.
This was it, she had to escape. Had to get the hell out of here.
“He’s seizing! Hold him still!” Aaron yelled. Hoyt’s body convulsed and the three men around him focused all their attention on him. Sparrow seized the opportunity, her hands shaking and her heart pounding faster than the blades on the helicopter. She pulled her knife out of her boot and cut the lead rope. Then turned the knife inwards, cutting as fast as she could through the bonds on her wrists.
She sliced her own skin in her haste, but the rope snapped free. No one looked her way. Hoyt flopped on the floor like a fish out of water and Sparrow felt a brief tinge of remorse for leaving at such a time.
But not enough to stick around and see if he made it.
Sparrow crouched on the bench and tucked her knife into her boot. The boat slowed even more. She climbed onto the ledge, surveyed the distance separating her from the opposite shore and dove in headfirst.
Dark water surrounded her, its freezing temperature stunning her into immobility. The cold air was nothing compared to the water. It stole her ability to think. To move.
Have to move. Have to survive.
Sparrow shook herself free of the haze and swam. She swam underwater as hard and as long as she could before surfacing.
She took the split-second to gulp in a deep breath of air, then dived beneath the surface once more, thankful for the dark waters of the muddy Mississippi.
Her arms and legs ached, but she didn't stop kicking. She didn't stop swimming. She just kept moving forward. Staying beneath the surface until her lungs felt liable to burst. When she couldn't take it anymore, she burst through to the surface, gulped in air, and turned to see if anyone had noticed she was missing.
The boat was docked at the edge of the river and men were scrambling to lift Hoyt and carry him onto dry land. She was safe.
For now.
Sparrow ducked beneath the water’s surface once more. She’d made it over halfway, but there was still a long way to go. The Mississippi River was nearly a mile wide, even more so with the recent rain. Her energy flagged. She couldn't swim that long without having to surface for air. But she kept going until her vision started to blacken, only breaking through to the surface when she was on the verge of passing out.
“Sparrow!” Jared stood on the far shore, his muscles bunching to dive in after her. Merc hooked an arm around him, pulling him back at the last second.
Her cover gone, Sparrow continued to swim on the surface, moving with renewed energy. Adrenaline pumped through her veins. She didn't need to look back to know that Jared would pursue her. There is no way he’d let her go. Her only hope was to get to the other side and disappear into the woods.
She was so tired. Swimming against the current was sapping her strength, so she changed route and swam sideways and downriver at the same time, letting the current carry her away.
Why the hell she hadn't done that in the first place? Stupid girl. She could only blame it on her haste to escape. She hadn't been thinking about using the river to her advantage. She'd only been thinking about survival.
Finally, she reached the opposite shore, dragged herself onto dry land, and collapsed. She knew her life was in danger, but all she could manage was to lay there for a moment, gasping for breath and trying to summon the strength to move. Something that seemed impossible until she heard a boat engine crank.
Sparrow planted her hands on the ground and pushed up, her arms and legs numb. She shivered, chill bumps covering more of her body than her clothes, but she couldn’t feel the cold.
Jared was speeding across the river, leaving her with only a few precious seconds to get a lead.
Sparrow took off running into the woods. She would keep this path, straight west, until she was deep enough and far enough to put a good distance between her and Jared. Then she would cut back north.
Already, the sun was gaining altitude over the mountains, highlighting her tracks. A blast of cold struck her bared skin, but she pushed on. At least the sun’s warmth would keep her from freezing.
If only she had another secret cave to use as a hideout, she could stop for long enough to make a fire and dry her clothes. Her boots squished with every step and fresh rivulets of water streamed down her face.
“Sparrow!”
Jared’s bellow startled her and she increased her speed. He was too close. There would be no stopping for fire. Sparrow pumped her arms, hoping to heat her body from the inside out, but each time she drew in a breath, her lips trembled and her lungs shook.
Her only hope was to rely on her knowledge of the woods. She’d grown up in them, knew them better than anybody. And while she hadn’t ventured on this side of the river much, it couldn't be much different from home.
Home. What she wouldn’t give for her trailer and a tall glass of whiskey. She’d have a campfire going in no time. Squirrel would be there too, leaned back on a log. If she closed her eyes, she could almost feel the fire kissing her skin.
The first shudder hit her hard, making her stumble and nearly fall. Sparrow grabbed a tree for support and wheeled around, disoriented. How far had she gone? The deeper into the woods she’d ran, the thicker the trees had grown. They seemed bigger, more threatening. Fresh moss scaled the sides of the trees like a disease. The tops of the oaks and pines melded together, trapping the light high above, withholding its life-giving warmth.
Sparrow drew in a deep breath and took off again, the effort taking more energy than it should have. She tried to jog, but it hurt too much to breathe. No matter how hard she pumped her arms, she couldn't get the blood to flow back into her fingers.
She wouldn't be able to keep up this pace much longer.
Think, Sparrow think. Squirrel had told her that her small size could work to her advantage. People automatically assumed she was a weakling. But she'd come from sturdy mountain stock. She had that same grit and determination forged in her blood. Forged by the very coal that grew deep in these mountains.
And thanks to old man Squirrel, she had more knowledge about tracking and survival than her entire family combined.
The last of her adrenaline slipped away and the stitch in her side grew too painful to ignore. Sparrow stopped and leaned against a tree. Another chill worked its way down her body, the cold wrapping around her like an ice blanket.
She had to find somewhere to hide and preserve energy. Sparrow flexed her fingers, the movement slow and stiff. Jared hadn’t plunged into the freezing water. He would be moving at twice her pace. It was time to face facts. She had no hope of out-running him. Her only chan
ce was to outsmart him.
Sparrow inhaled and stood tall. She lifted her hands over her head and flung them down as hard and fast as she could at her sides, attempting to sling some blood back into her numb fingers. After repeating the process for a few more seconds, she felt some measure of feeling return to her limbs.
She paused and listened to the chatter of the birds, mingled with an occasional bark and chirp. A rabbit scooted past her feet. These were all comforting sounds, familiar sounds. But she had to listen for the unfamiliar. Like limbs snapping and leaves crackling under heavy footsteps. But she heard none of that. Nothing that would give away Jared's presence or location.
Her chest tightened and realization stole across her. Jared and his team hadn’t acted like normal people. They hadn't even acted like law enforcement. All their movements had been too precise, too measured. And they carried automatic rifles, not shotguns.
Sparrow attempted to swallow, but couldn't complete the process. Deep in her gut she knew that whatever those men were, they were deadly. And she couldn't assume Jared was anything less than an elite tracker.
She strained harder, listening for any disturbances.
Nothing. Not even a leaf crackling.
Slowly she opened her eyes and turned in a circle, studying her surroundings. She stopped in front of a giant old hardwood, its roots raised from the ground like gnarled fingers. He might be a good tracker, but she was better. He couldn’t track her if she left no footprints in the dirt.
Sparrow tilted her head up, almost jumping for joy when she spied all the low hanging branches. The very trees that blocked the warm sun could also save her life.
Sparrow took off at a brisk jog, making sure to clearly mark where she stepped. A ways up she stopped, crouched, and jumped up to grab onto a branch that stretched right above her head. Once she’d climbed onto that, she made her way up the limb to the tree, circled the trunk, and climbed onto the next limb out. It took time and some fancy footwork, but she finally leapt onto the tree next to the old oak. After carefully descending the trunk, she stepped onto an uplifted root. Keeping her footsteps light, Sparrow walked across the series of roots, never touching the ground. When she was on the back side of the tree she leapt as far as she could and landed in a crouch.
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