Maybe then she’d feel a little better, and she could make it to the ranch. She needed to make it back to Jack.
She didn’t come to the creek, but managed to walk for several hours, talking to herself in her mind to keep from going crazy.
Just a little farther, take one step at a time. Jack’s waiting for you. You can make it. Keep going. Think of the baby. Don’t let that bastard win. You’ve survived every other time. You’ll make it this time, too. Find Jack.
Thanks to the mostly downhill grade, she managed to cover a good distance before sunset. Worn out, she was determined to make it around the next bend before stopping to rest. She dragged her feet, putting one foot in front of the other. If she lay down again, she might sleep through the night, and she couldn’t afford to spend another night in the cold.
She came around the bend and spotted the edge of the lake past the open meadow. Unable to help herself, she started laughing. With her hoarse voice and mouth so dry, the odd sound came out more like a series of squeaky croaks, but she was elated. Maybe just hysterical.
Water. The lake meant she was close to the main road and only about five miles from the ranch. Not that far. If she could get to the main road, someone would see her.
Excited, her energy surged and she made her way to the lake. Lake water was better than no water. She knelt on the bank and leaned forward to drink. Nothing like tap water, the lake water was gritty from dirt and silt she stirred up, but it would do. Her knees and the bottom half of her legs were soaked through, making her even colder. Violent shivers shook her. Maybe getting wet wasn’t such a good idea. Thirst overrode common sense.
More tired than she’d ever felt, she couldn’t get her legs to lift her and fell back on her heels. She needed to rest. So close, but she just couldn’t go any further. Everything ached, but not as much as her head. She collapsed onto her side, her feet and knees in the water, and passed out curled on the muddy bank.
Chapter Forty-Three
* * *
JACK, CALEB, AND Sam rode through the low area on horseback, past the large pastures to the part of the property where the tree lines on both sides of the valley were closest. None of the men found any sign of Jenna, but they all thought this area the most logical place to search. This part of the valley was a long way from the main house, but the best place to cross from one side to the other without being seen.
They made their way through the forest to the dirt road high in the hills. They’d seen several broken branches and disturbed dirt, but it was difficult to tell if it was manmade or from the animals. They’d make their way back down the road past the lake to the main road, searching for any sign Jenna or a vehicle had come this way.
As they rode on, Jack noticed something up ahead. Deep tire impressions in the dirt and gravel and something else he couldn’t quite make out in the setting sun. They reached the spot and found the rope. “He had her here. These tire tracks are fresh. He must have tied her up at some point.” Jack fisted his hands on the reins, his knuckles going white and his hands aching.
They dismounted and Caleb searched the area. “Where is she now?”
They fanned out, calling out for her, but received no response. Some brush and dirt had been disturbed. Sam searched the road in a zigzag pattern, stopping every couple feet and bending down to take a closer look.
“Check this out,” Sam called. They rushed to his location and stared down at the drops of dried blood.
“That doesn’t mean anything,” Jack said, unwilling to believe she could be dead.
“It’s not a lot of blood. Something happened here. Take a step back and look at the disturbed ground. The footprints start here. They’re widely spaced and headed for the trees. She ran.”
“He ran after her,” Caleb said, indicating the larger prints that followed Jenna’s smaller ones.
“Yes. She ran. Despite the blood, the evidence in the disturbed dirt and gravel indicates a scuffle. Hopefully she was able to get away.”
Sam took a closer look around and walked several yards into the trees, following the