That should trip him up nicely and buy her some extra time. Sparrow grabbed a fallen tree limb, still covered in fresh sprouts of leaves, and turned and began walking backwards, brushing the ground to cover her steps. After a few more minutes of slow methodical walking Sparrow stopped to listen once more.
She didn't hear anything this time. Not the birds, or the squirrels, or even a random deer. Her already racing pulse shot off at light speed. The animals sensed strangers better than humans did. Their lack of noise was a glaring alarm that the threat was near.
Sparrow gently laid the stick on the ground and eased behind the nearest tree, making herself as small as possible. Her heart pounded so loud in her ears she was surprised that the whole damn forest didn't hear it.
All these years she'd been the tracker. The hunter. She’d never thought she would become the pray.
She sensed his presence, even though she couldn't detect a sound of a single footfall. Pressing her back into the tree, Sparrow prayed that she’d covered her tracks well enough to fool him. The cold bark seeped through her already chilled skin. A violent shudder worked through her body and she bit her lip to keep from crying out.
The cold seeped into her like poison, taking over her fingers and toes, fogging her mind. She needed to move, needed to generate heat. But Jared’s presence was an even stronger motivation to stay put. Sparrow dug her fingers into the tree bark behind her, the pain keeping her anchored in place.
Every primal instinct screamed at her to run, but she held herself there by willpower alone. She kept her breaths long, and slow, and light despite her wildly beating heart. She didn't know how much time passed, but eventually the sounds of nature returned to normal.
The deadly presence she’d sensed earlier was gone. She’d tricked him. Elations surged through her veins, and she jumped to her feet only to stumble back to the ground. A wave of dizziness assailed her. She got to her feet again, her legs lethargic and unresponsive. Now she was shivering uncontrollably.
She didn't need a thermometer to know her body temperature was dropping dangerously low. Sparrow realized with a start that the greatest threat to her life might not be Jared Crowe.
Chapter 17
The river was nearly half a mile wide where Sparrow had swum across it. Jared had to admire her grit. He knew a lot of grown men who wouldn’t have made it that far, but fear could do a lot of things for a person.
His admiration was cut short by her stupidity. The water temperatures were cold enough to cause hypothermia, especially when she had no chance to get warm. Jared had left his nearly dying brother to go after Sparrow, and now he’d probably have to save her from the deadliness of her own actions. Anger flowed through him as swift and dangerous as the currents in the Mississippi.
Jared still had his duffel. His unit had already taken Hoyt back to get treatment. I should be on that helicopter, not chasing her.
He’d struggled with his decision, but ultimately he couldn’t let her go. He knew Hoyt was in the best possible care. Now, all he had to do was retrieve his prisoner and call for pick up. Easy enough.
He throttled the boat to the place where Sparrow had pulled herself out of the water. The steep dirt bank offered no spot for him to tie up, so he was left no choice but to head down river and tie off to a fallen tree. The last thing he wanted to do was lose this boat after the last one had been stolen.
Jared tied the boat to the tree, heaved the bag over his shoulder, and jumped onto land. He would have to backtrack some, but how hard could it be to find her?
He predicted a few hours at most, long enough for her to freeze and get sloppy. Jared had the best training in tracking the military had to offer. He and Hoyt were at the top of their class in reconnaissance. When he found Sparrow…he didn't know what he would do. He only prayed he’d manage to keep control of himself.
The image of Hoyt’s mutilated back flashed through his mind. He’d nearly gagged from the smell after Aaron pulled the bandage off.
And it was all because of her. Didn’t the fact that she’d run prove that?
* * *
Sparrow started moving again, denying herself the temptation to give up. Jared would see her escape as another betrayal and he was already pissed. Her last action might very well push him over the edge.
But no, she couldn’t think like that. She wasn’t going to die out here from the cold or by Jared’s hand; she was pure mountain stock, by God, and she’d sure as hell make it back home. The dip in the river might have slowed her down a bit, but she wouldn't allow it to kill her.
She continued walking, keeping her footsteps as silent as possible. Careful and quiet.
As she went, she thought back to her happiest childhood memories, her mind slipping easily into a better time, eager to escape the aches and the pain and the cold of the present.
Each summer, she and her friend Susie had swum in Blue Hole pond and sunned on boulders in the hundred-degree heat. She concentrated on the memory of the warm sun bathing her body and the hot rock beneath her.
Susie's mom had been a whore just like Sparrow’s. The girls had easily formed a bond over the fact they both had junkie mothers and no idea who their fathers were. The memory morphed into another one, only this time there was no sun shining down. There was only her trailer, cold and empty. Their window unit had quit putting out heat long ago. Sparrow had woken up late that morning, shivering. Her mother was still passed out in bed with a strange man.
Sparrow went outside to build a campfire before heading back in to wake her mother. She approached from Tootsie’s side of the bed, having learned early on how dangerous it could be to wake the man.
As gingerly as she could, Sparrow poked Tootsie on the shoulder. “Mama?”
And, just like always, her mom didn't move.
Sparrow sucked in a frustrated sigh, her young eight-year-old mind not yet comprehending the real reason Tootsie didn't move. She wrapped her small fingers around her mother’s arm, shocked at how cold her skin was. “Mama?”
Still nothing. Uncaring if she woke the man or not, Sparrow shook her hard. “Mama!”
Her mother never opened her eyes. She was cold, as cold as ice.
The memory wrapped around her, making her shiver even harder. She wasn't sure how far she’d traveled or in what direction. She didn't hear the river rushing nearby anymore, though, and when she glanced up to gauge the location of the sun, it had disappeared. Dark storm clouds gathered and made their presence known with a loud rumble.
At that instant the temperature seemed to plummet.
Sparrow had to make a decision. Try to find the river and follow it back home, praying all the while that Jimbo didn't get to her before she told Miss Kay about his plans, or start searching for shelter.
* * *
Jared realized his mistake after a good thirty minutes of walking straight out from the river. In the beginning, he’d easily followed Sparrow’s tracks. She had made a mad dash into the woods, disturbing every leaf, stick, and limb in her path. Hell, even if he had never been trained in tracking, he would've been able to follow her. But then her footsteps dwindled and disappeared altogether. Foolish as he was, Jared had continued straight ahead, assuming the girl would be too scared and distracted to throw him off course.
Jared grasped that she’d once again fooled him, only this time the only person he could blame was himself. How many times would he underestimate her?
He stopped and checked his compass, careful to turn and head back in the exact direction from which he’d come. Somewhere along this path she'd diverged from her course, and now he would have to find it.
A flash of lightning rent the air, followed by a boom of thunder. The temperature steadily dropped, until Jared's breath started fogging in front of his face. He slowed on his track back, carefully watching for any signs. A branch broken too high for an animal to make. A disturbance in the leaf patterns on the ground. A footprint.
Each excruciating minute seemed to stretch out long
er and longer, putting more and more distance between them. Worry shadowed his thoughts. It was cold out here. Really cold, and she’d completely submerged herself in water just to escape him. He spun around the moment he heard the river. He’d missed it. Dammit, he’d underestimated her completely.
He'd seen proof of her handiwork on the walls of her trailer. Seen her collection of knives and guns and bow and arrows. And still…somewhere in the back of his mind he thought of her as any other girl. Scared, cold, and alone in the woods.
Jared laughed at himself. Idiot. Hasn't she already proved she isn’t like any other girl?
Jared changed tactics, and followed the trail back from the river, stopping when it started to change pattern, turning from a mad dash to controlled, measured steps, then a fast run. Then nothing. Jared stopped and made a full circle, carefully studying every nuance around him. A couple of squirrels chattered overhead, a tree branch shifted, and a pine cone hit the ground, drawing his gaze up to the branches.
The oak was a huge beast of a tree that had to be at least a hundred years old. Its huge roots jutted up out of the ground, covered in moss.
That's when he saw it. The moss had been disturbed. Damn girl was a genius. He hadn't been able to track her because her feet hadn't actually been on the ground. Jared swept around the tree but saw nothing out of place. Even the most carefully placed footstep could leave a mark.
But she’d left absolutely no trail.
Jared closed his eyes and thought, where would she have gone? Where would anyone in her situation go?
Home.
Jared opened his eyes and headed straight north, his self-assurance growing with each step. He hadn't picked up her trail yet, but his instincts were firing hot. It wasn't long before he saw the tree branch and put the puzzle together. She’d covered her tracks. He started seeing footsteps and found the spot where she’d hunkered down behind a tree. No way she could've heard him coming through the woods. Hell, he’d barely been able to hear himself. What had given him away?
A raindrop splattered on his face. She wouldn’t make it far dressed like that. After her dunk in the river, she had to be freezing. The rain and temperature drop would only make it worse. He cursed and pulled out his poncho. If he didn't find her soon she might actually die from hypothermia or exposure. He was in a race against time to save the one girl he’d vowed to destroy.
Chapter 18
The sun had started its descent when he picked up her trail again hours later. His worry for her safety grew with every passing minute, as did his admiration. There were few people in the world he couldn’t easily track, very few, but this slip of a mountain girl was testing him.
But even more alarming was her footstep pattern. She was dragging her feet, walking in an uneven path. Had she injured herself in her bid to out run him? He already doubted her involvement, but to have her really hurt because of him was too terrible to contemplate. She’d headed north and angled toward the river. The terrain had shifted, becoming steep and rocky. Jared ascended another rise and the land leveled out along a ridgeline. Up here the trees were nearly nonexistent, making her easier to track. Until he saw a sharp skid in the dirt where she’d obviously fallen. His fear skyrocketed. Had she tripped and leaned too far to the right?
No way. Sparrow had too much skill to fall off the side of a cliff. Still, he leaned over the edge and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw nothing but the rocks in the river.
He stood up, looking over the river valley, taking in the majestic mountain range. Tennessee held some awe-inspiring wonders. If only its people were as wonderful. Forcing back the memories, Jared turned to pick up where he’d left off.
He heard her before he saw her.
Moving away from the edge of the cliff, Jared eased back into the woods, walking carefully so as not to alert her to his presence. He spied her just beyond a dense cove of trees, sitting in a small clearing. She’d piled up some leaves and twigs and was trying to start a fire with two pieces of wood, but she was moving way too slow. Her hands shook so bad, she kept dropping the stick. Her chattering teeth sounded louder than a woodpecker tapping a tree.
He had just started creeping forward when she dropped the sticks. “I know you're there.”
Jared stopped and hid his smile. “Told you I’d find you.”
When she finally looked up, it was his turn to suck in a breath. Her blue lips stood out stark against her too pale skin and her pupils nearly swallowed her eyes. “Jesus, why didn't you stop?”
Her gaze narrowed. “Why? So you could torture me to death? No thanks. I've heard hypothermia is just like going to sleep, only you don't wake up. Besides, I have to get back and stop Jimbo. He wants the mountain and if he gets it, he’ll kill Squirrel.”
He’d pushed her to choosing death by exposure over him? Well, maybe he would make the same choice in her situation, but that sure as hell didn't mean he wasn’t pissed off. Jared squatted next to her and made a grab for her arm.
Sparrow jerked away from him, falling on her butt. “Get away from me.”
“Don't be stupid. I've got to warm you up.”
She scrambled back on her hands and feet. “No thanks. Don't much care for your style of warming.”
Jared pushed his remorse down and continued to stalk forward. “You think I want you like that now? Sorry honey, but even I have limits.”
“You think I believe that? Stay away from me.” Sparrow scrambled faster, but her elbow gave out and she fell to the ground. Only to push herself right back up. Jared forced himself to stop. Her expression had morphed from angry to frightened.
“What's it gonna take for you to believe me?”
Her harsh laugh turned into a deep cough, and it took all his strength not to yank her into his arms and cradle her against him. “Nothing. You've made your point very clear.”
“Dammit, I just said that to scare you. If you don't stop and let me help you, you really are going to die.”
She shook her head wildly, her teeth chattering even harder with the rough movement. His patience was at an end. It took him all of two leaps to grab her and lift her against his body.
“Let me go!”
“I'm not going to let you kill yourself.” Jared locked his arms tight, careful not to hurt her.
She pushed against his chest and he barely felt it. But he did feel the freezing temperature of her body. Thunder boomed again. He had to find them shelter right now. Jared ripped off his poncho and wrapped her up in it to protect her from any more rain and hopefully trap in a little body heat. Then he picked her up, holding her in front of his chest. “I promise not to harm you in any way. It's fixing to start raining and the temperature will continue to fall. If we don't find shelter and heat, you will go into shock.”
Her attempts to fight ceased and she sagged against him, out of breath and trembling. “I know. I was trying to find another cave, but I couldn’t keep going.”
“Smart.” Jared started walking with Sparrow’s sparse weight clasped in his arms. The threat of rain hung heavy in the air and grey clouds obscured any sunlight.
There were no more breaks in Sparrow’s teeth chattering. Her entire body shook. Jared cursed and tried to squeeze her against as much of his body as possible, but there was only so much he could do while still moving.
“Sparrow, think. Any shelter you've ever heard of on this side of the river? Caves, hunting sheds, anything like that?”
“N-n-n-no—no—wait. The bear’s den, where squirrel tracked his grizzly.”
“Good girl, where is it?”
“Don't know for sure.” She shuddered so hard he almost dropped her. “He said it's halfway up the tallest ridge you can see. And the top of the hill is as bare as an old man's bald head.”
Great, a tall mountain in the Tennessee Mountains. Still, Jared looked around and nearly fell over in shock. The next hill over looked exactly as she’d described. “I'll be damned. Hold on.”
Jared took off at a brisk jog, carefully
shielding her face from stray branches. Her body temperature seemed to drop even more and adrenaline fueled his muscles. He had to find shelter now.
Jared began the ascent, his legs burning with pain. Didn't matter. He kept going, cursing when he had to slow down and wind around a smattering of huge boulders jutting out of the earth. At least the trees were thinner up here; the scraggly pines didn’t have enough dirt in the rocky soil to spread their roots. He had to protect her. His woman.
Shit. Not his. No matter how much he wanted to possess her, he couldn’t. Not until Hoyt woke and confirmed his suspicion.
He kept scanning his surroundings, watching for some small break in the earth signaling the cave. But he needn't have bothered. Suddenly, he was standing before a huge opening in the side of the mountain.
One that was more than large enough to hold an entire family of bears.
“Going to sit you right here for just a minute, make sure there aren't any animals hiding out in there okay?” Jared gently laid her down on the ground and propping her against a boulder.
Sparrow just leaned over on her side and tucked her knees against her chest. Without hesitation, Jared pulled his gun and went into the cave. He didn't have much longer before she went into shock.
The cave wasn't deep, so he cleared it in seconds, studiously ignoring the obvious signs that some animal had lived there in the past. He ran back out, grabbed Sparrow, and carried her into the cave. Once she was tucked against the wall, he said, “I’ll be right back,” then ran out to gather as much dry kindling and as many twigs as he could find. He returned with a small arm load, which he dumped next to Sparrow. “I'll have you dry and warm in just another minute.”
Men of Mercy: The Complete Story Page 65