“Sending assistance now. Can you get to a safe place?” the woman asked.
One of the men banged against the door. My breath panted out in short gasps. Holy crap. A buzzing started in my ears. They were coming for me. They knocked on the door, and something heavy slammed against it. The door wouldn’t hold for long.
“I have to run,” I said, shoving the phone back into my pocket. This couldn’t be happening. But it was. I dashed straight to the sliding glass door and out to a tiny back yard. A furious pounding erupted from the front of the house. I slid across the wet grass to a tall wooden fence that had shards of rough wood scattering along its face. The forest land spread out behind it with glorious hiding places. I sucked in air and clambered up the boards. Slivers ripped into my pants and skin. I perched on the top, scanning the dark trees for safety until the world tilted. I yelped, plunging to the marshy grass on the other side.
Mud caked my clothes and hands. I struggled to my feet, barreling for the forest. Behind me, someone’s ragged breathing cut through the humidity like a buzz saw. One shoe ripped from my foot, stuck in the mud. I darted between mature pine trees and through prickly bushes. These guys had probably killed Randy. Why were they in Melvin’s house? My lungs seized and I almost threw up.
The rain drizzled between the branches. Someone cleared the fence behind me, and heavy feet splashed in puddles. “She went north,” a hard, male voice hissed.
I needed to get back to my car. Shuddering, I searched for the right tree. It was directly ahead of me. An older pine with sturdy branches and plenty of needles. I leapt for the lowest branch, grabbing on with both hands. Thick bark dug into my palms. My feet swung, caught purchase, and I pulled myself into a seated position. Muffling a sob, I reached for the next branch and scrambled to stand.
Then I scampered up into the dark depths of my haven. My remaining sandal scraped and slipped against sharp bark. My fingernails shredded with each foot I climbed, pain lanced through my fingertips, and growling noises came from my throat. Finally, I pulled myself onto a thick branch, about thirty feet off the ground.
I prayed they hadn’t expected me to climb a tree. The rain pelted harder, frizzing my hair around my face. I wiped my running nose with the back of a muddy hand. I wanted to cry but was too scared to make a sound. Where were the police? My heart galloped as the adrenaline continued to pump through my system. My hands screamed in pain.
Footsteps echoed below me.
“I saw her head this way.” It was the same voice. I leaned a bit, peering down at him. A large bald spot showed through sparse brown hair. He glanced around. His round face showcased a nose that had been flattened by something strong. Thick shoulders in a blue slicker led to wide hips in black Levi’s, and one dark, hairy hand pointed with a silver handgun.
“Who is she?” The other man was a slim blonde. Probably in his late twenties. I glimpsed pocked skin and a thick goatee. The muted black of his gun contrasted with his pale fingers.
“She was Taylor’s lawyer. Who knows what he told her.”
No, I wasn’t. Geez. I had been on the opposite side of Randy. Sometimes I wondered about our school system.
“Fuck. Where is she?” The pocked guy asked.
I needed to get that gun if they found me. How? My mind spun. Then, blessed sirens sounded in the distance. Finally.
“Get back to the car!” Flat Face bellowed the order to Pocked Face. They took off for Thelma’s fence at a dead run.
The rain beat down on me while I waited to make sure they were gone. I winced at the blood mixed with fresh mud on my hands. Then I slowly descended, the bark digging into my legs. Suddenly, my hands slipped on a branch, and I tumbled to the ground. I hit with a thud. The air whooshed painfully out of my lungs. I lay in the mud and let the rain splatter me for a second. Nothing felt broken.
A flurry of activity sounded, coming from the duplex and around the fence. “Anna!” Detective Pierce bellowed.
“Here.” I started to sit up.
He reached me in a second, his gaze worried and running over