Read Online Riverrun by Felicia Andrews - Free Book Online

deliverance slip through her fingers. Keeping herself low to avoid the shooting, she crawled to the door and grabbed at the frame. The outside was a blackened blur as she hauled herself up, and she hesitated in jumping, a hesitation that cost her the opportunity as another hole was struck and again she was thrown back. This time, however, she managed to twist around before landing, her arms out to catch herself and absorb the shock of the fall. Her palms scraped along the floor, her elbows locked, and as she brought her knees up to keep from dropping prone, her right arm gave way and the side of her face slammed against the seat. Immediately, she lost control of her left arm and her forehead struck the floor.
    Suddenly, then, it was dark, a darkness ablaze with torches that burned her eyes, formed a blinding whirlpool that sucked her down into a sea of night and buried her in oblivion.
    She had no notion of how long she had remained unconscious, but she was awakened by a rush of cold that gushed over her, spilling into her mouth and nostrils until she choked. She thrashed about wildly, realized she was still in the carriage, and managed to haul herself up onto the rear-facing seat before the frigid water could trap and drown her. She was drenched, shivering from shock and cold, yet she still had the presence of mind to keep silent until she understood better what her situation was.
    She had no way of knowing what had happened to either Josh or Bobbie, nor who had pursued them. The carriage was still upright, and from the continuous flow of water only inches below her, she surmised it had been abandoned or had stalled in the middle of some mountain-fed river. The doors had apparently been flung open by some unknown impact and were now pinned against the vehicle’s sides. The night was silent, however, and she heard no shouts, no firing, no telltale signs of anyone near her. Her lungs filled and emptied slowly until she was positive no one knew she was still in the cabin; then she gingerly grabbed at the door frame and pulled herself forward until she could extend one leg outside to test the depth of the water. For a moment she feared it would be well over her head, and with limbs and head still throbbing from the pummeling she had endured, she did not think she would be able to swim successfully to the nearest shoreline. Cautiously, she lowered her foot into the water. The carriage jerked, shifting with an agonized shriek that caused her to hang on grimly. She waited, edged forward again, and once more the carriage shuddered. She froze, and listened, and heard in the near distance the unmistakable roar of white water.
    She closed her eyes and ordered herself not to give way to the panic that added to her chills. Almost defiantly she wiped a hand over her face, brushing back the straggles of hair that clung wetly to her skin, and took a deep, calming breath. The carriage, she thought, had probably been driven blindly across the river, with no regard for safety except in flight, and had most likely jammed itself against some hidden boulder in the riverbed. At least, she realized thankfully, someone had had the presence of mind to free the horses, since she heard nothing of panicked screams or felt any frantic tugging at the traces. But it was clear that to move precipitously would mean losing the stricken carriage with her still lingering within. Whether there were falls nearby no longer mattered; the obviously huge rocks that caused the water to thunder so loudly would do their lethal job well enough.
    She moved immediately to the up river side, and again gripping the door frame, eased herself slowly down and out. The carriage shuddered but did not move, and she whispered a brief, thankful prayer. Her suspicions proved correct—a sharp-sided boulder had impaled the carriage at the juncture of shaft and body. Its sleek, washed sides gleamed a dull silver, and the river, as she turned her head, rushed blackly toward her,