Read Online Fight or Flight by Natalie J. Damschroder - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Natalie J. Damschroder
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to cover theirs.
After they’d gone a few hundred yards, she aimed them back toward the far side of the woods. The strip bordering the highway wouldn’t be very wide, and sure enough, they soon emerged onto a big empty cornfield, shorn for the season.
“Dammit. We could have hidden in there,” Kelsey muttered. Now there was no cover. Also, no farmhouse or barn or any other kind of building that might have a telephone.
Tom squinted as he scanned the darkness. “Let’s just follow the tree line.” He pointed to the left. “We can move faster, and duck into the woods if we need cover.”
Kelsey agreed, having no better idea. They started running again, hugging the edge of the woods. Van took the lead, with Tom behind Kelsey. She knew they were bracketing her on purpose, to protect her. She hated to put them through this, but was so grateful, too. She would never have a chance if they weren’t with her.
“You okay?” she asked Van, who was running at an easy lope now.
“Sure. This is nothin’ compared to an hour of field hockey.”
Kelsey knew Tom ran miles every day, too, for football. She, herself, conditioned every day. She briefly wished soccer was the only reason she was in shape. But all those years of paranoia hadn’t been unwarranted. There were people after her. She wished she knew why.
Add it to the list . Where was her mother? How badly was she hurt? Who was after them, and what made her so important that they hadn’t given up after eighteen years? The urge to call Tyler’s phone again grew so strong her step faltered. Tom bumped into her and caught her shoulders before she fell.
“You okay?”
“Fine.”
He held her for a second. Van stopped a short way ahead and leaned on her stick, panting. Kelsey looked around, wishing for better light. She couldn’t see if there was any place to hide.
The noise behind them had receded. She couldn’t tell where their pursuers were.
“Maybe they’ve given up,” Van offered.
“No. They won’t give up.” She may not know much about what was happening to her, but she did know that.
***
“Stop!”
Tyler slammed on the brakes and skidded onto the shoulder. Regan shoved her door open and ran across the road to the center median, stymied by the cement wall and her shoulder. Tyler caught up to her after a few seconds.
“What the hell?”
“Look.”
He followed her eager gaze to the cars across the road. One, an old Chevy, was sitting with its doors open and a rear tire flat. The one behind it was a plain dark sedan, but Regan could see there were lights in the dash. They weren’t on. And no one was around.
“Help me over.” She swung a leg up as Tyler grabbed her waist and hefted her on top of the wall. She sat, aimed, and slid off the other side, landing on her feet and running to the cars.
Both doors on the Chevy’s driver’s side were open and the keys were still in the ignition. She slid into the front seat and looked around, but it was empty.
“This might not be theirs,” Tyler cautioned, leaning into the back seat to look under the rugs. “It’s empty back here.”
Regan opened the glove compartment and grabbed the only thing in it, a white envelope with a blank face. She fumbled it open. The registration inside was to Donald Leigh.
“It’s theirs. The car belongs to Van or one of her relatives. Where are they?” She struggled back out of the car and looked around. There were scuff marks in the gravel. She looked up as a car passed them. They could have been taken in a third vehicle, but it didn’t seem likely unless the one behind theirs was disabled.
“I think they went into the woods,” she told Tyler, praying it wasn’t a mother’s foolish hope driving her thoughts, “but please see if that car is working.” She motioned with her chin. “If not, they might have been taken in another one.”
While Tyler went to the sedan, Regan stepped to the edge of the shoulder, looking into the woods. A trail through the
After they’d gone a few hundred yards, she aimed them back toward the far side of the woods. The strip bordering the highway wouldn’t be very wide, and sure enough, they soon emerged onto a big empty cornfield, shorn for the season.
“Dammit. We could have hidden in there,” Kelsey muttered. Now there was no cover. Also, no farmhouse or barn or any other kind of building that might have a telephone.
Tom squinted as he scanned the darkness. “Let’s just follow the tree line.” He pointed to the left. “We can move faster, and duck into the woods if we need cover.”
Kelsey agreed, having no better idea. They started running again, hugging the edge of the woods. Van took the lead, with Tom behind Kelsey. She knew they were bracketing her on purpose, to protect her. She hated to put them through this, but was so grateful, too. She would never have a chance if they weren’t with her.
“You okay?” she asked Van, who was running at an easy lope now.
“Sure. This is nothin’ compared to an hour of field hockey.”
Kelsey knew Tom ran miles every day, too, for football. She, herself, conditioned every day. She briefly wished soccer was the only reason she was in shape. But all those years of paranoia hadn’t been unwarranted. There were people after her. She wished she knew why.
Add it to the list . Where was her mother? How badly was she hurt? Who was after them, and what made her so important that they hadn’t given up after eighteen years? The urge to call Tyler’s phone again grew so strong her step faltered. Tom bumped into her and caught her shoulders before she fell.
“You okay?”
“Fine.”
He held her for a second. Van stopped a short way ahead and leaned on her stick, panting. Kelsey looked around, wishing for better light. She couldn’t see if there was any place to hide.
The noise behind them had receded. She couldn’t tell where their pursuers were.
“Maybe they’ve given up,” Van offered.
“No. They won’t give up.” She may not know much about what was happening to her, but she did know that.
***
“Stop!”
Tyler slammed on the brakes and skidded onto the shoulder. Regan shoved her door open and ran across the road to the center median, stymied by the cement wall and her shoulder. Tyler caught up to her after a few seconds.
“What the hell?”
“Look.”
He followed her eager gaze to the cars across the road. One, an old Chevy, was sitting with its doors open and a rear tire flat. The one behind it was a plain dark sedan, but Regan could see there were lights in the dash. They weren’t on. And no one was around.
“Help me over.” She swung a leg up as Tyler grabbed her waist and hefted her on top of the wall. She sat, aimed, and slid off the other side, landing on her feet and running to the cars.
Both doors on the Chevy’s driver’s side were open and the keys were still in the ignition. She slid into the front seat and looked around, but it was empty.
“This might not be theirs,” Tyler cautioned, leaning into the back seat to look under the rugs. “It’s empty back here.”
Regan opened the glove compartment and grabbed the only thing in it, a white envelope with a blank face. She fumbled it open. The registration inside was to Donald Leigh.
“It’s theirs. The car belongs to Van or one of her relatives. Where are they?” She struggled back out of the car and looked around. There were scuff marks in the gravel. She looked up as a car passed them. They could have been taken in a third vehicle, but it didn’t seem likely unless the one behind theirs was disabled.
“I think they went into the woods,” she told Tyler, praying it wasn’t a mother’s foolish hope driving her thoughts, “but please see if that car is working.” She motioned with her chin. “If not, they might have been taken in another one.”
While Tyler went to the sedan, Regan stepped to the edge of the shoulder, looking into the woods. A trail through the
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