Read Online Searching for Secrets by Elaine Orr - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Elaine Orr
Ads: Link
foundation of the old farmhouse and then up toward the main drive that led from Mahaska Springs to Highway 6. It was only about eleven p.m.; there would be a lot of cars around.
Christa could hear feet pounding behind her and wished she had on her walking shoes rather than the tan pumps. The feet slowed. She gulped air. Maybe her pursuer was more winded than she. Something whizzed by her right ear and rustled leaves as it vanished into the woods. A bullet? Surely not. Unless they had a silencer on the gun. She had almost reached the foundation and forced herself to slow. The ground here was uneven and there were chunks of the old limestone foundation sticking up at random intervals. Something else whizzed by her left ear. It was a bullet!
She was at the foundation and jumped over the edge of the old farmhouse perimeter. The remains of the fireplace were just ahead and she made her way to it and squatted behind the broken stack of bricks. Christa looked around for some kind of weapon. As if a brick would stop a bullet. Was that a shadow or someone moving toward her? Suddenly, she realized she had a powerful weapon, and began to scream. She kept it up for fully 10 seconds, until she saw a couple of lights go on in the apartments several hundred yards away.
Two bullets flew beside her, and another struck a brick near her left shoulder. It splintered and she shook her head to get the pieces out of her hair. Two more nicked bricks just to her right. There was no way she could raise her head to see where he or they were, but she sensed the gunman was drawing closer.
To her right she heard someone moving through the brush, only yards away. If she could get to the edge of the foundation there was a slight incline. She could lie flat, and no one would be able to shoot at her from the woods. If they wanted to kill her, it would have to be out in the open. Unmindful of the brambles that tore at her slacks she crouched and ran to her left. Only a yard to go!
Suddenly, the ground below her gave way and Christa felt herself falling. Instinctively she wrapped her arms around her head. It wasn't a long fall, but she landed first on her left forearm, then her hip. She could barely draw a breath, and the pain in her arm was intense, but she was still able to move. She rose to her knees, cradling the surely broken arm in her right hand, and hobbled a few feet away from the spot where she had landed.
"Where is she? Where'd the broad go?" It was the kidnapper's voice, she was certain. A muffled voice responded, but Christa could not make out what the person said.
Through a pain haze she heard Kirk's voice. "Police! Drop your weapons and put your hands where I can see them."
Two loud gunshots rang out. Two sets of feet moved quickly. She could not get her bearings. Did they run toward the woods or toward the apartments? Christa tried to get to her feet. She had to get closer to the hole through which she had fallen or Kirk would never find her. As she rose, her stomach turned upside down. The pain in her arm and hip was intense. "Kirk, I'm here," she whispered. The world turned sideways and she felt herself falling again.
THE FIRST THING SHE WAS AWARE OF was the pain in her left arm. Christa moaned and slowly opened her eyes. Why was it so very dark? And her mouth was so dry. She knew she wasn't in bed. The scent of damp dirt came to her and she remembered where she was. Christa struggled to sit up, but it only heightened the intense pain in her left arm and the lesser pain in her hip.
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then did it a few more times. It helped calm her racing heart, which she knew was beating wildly, in part from fear and in part from pain. The fear she could do something about. Think. Why are you here? What were you doing?
Slowly, it came back to her. She had been running from the men, they had shot at her. For the second time in one day she had lost consciousness. Not a record she ever hoped to break. More
Christa could hear feet pounding behind her and wished she had on her walking shoes rather than the tan pumps. The feet slowed. She gulped air. Maybe her pursuer was more winded than she. Something whizzed by her right ear and rustled leaves as it vanished into the woods. A bullet? Surely not. Unless they had a silencer on the gun. She had almost reached the foundation and forced herself to slow. The ground here was uneven and there were chunks of the old limestone foundation sticking up at random intervals. Something else whizzed by her left ear. It was a bullet!
She was at the foundation and jumped over the edge of the old farmhouse perimeter. The remains of the fireplace were just ahead and she made her way to it and squatted behind the broken stack of bricks. Christa looked around for some kind of weapon. As if a brick would stop a bullet. Was that a shadow or someone moving toward her? Suddenly, she realized she had a powerful weapon, and began to scream. She kept it up for fully 10 seconds, until she saw a couple of lights go on in the apartments several hundred yards away.
Two bullets flew beside her, and another struck a brick near her left shoulder. It splintered and she shook her head to get the pieces out of her hair. Two more nicked bricks just to her right. There was no way she could raise her head to see where he or they were, but she sensed the gunman was drawing closer.
To her right she heard someone moving through the brush, only yards away. If she could get to the edge of the foundation there was a slight incline. She could lie flat, and no one would be able to shoot at her from the woods. If they wanted to kill her, it would have to be out in the open. Unmindful of the brambles that tore at her slacks she crouched and ran to her left. Only a yard to go!
Suddenly, the ground below her gave way and Christa felt herself falling. Instinctively she wrapped her arms around her head. It wasn't a long fall, but she landed first on her left forearm, then her hip. She could barely draw a breath, and the pain in her arm was intense, but she was still able to move. She rose to her knees, cradling the surely broken arm in her right hand, and hobbled a few feet away from the spot where she had landed.
"Where is she? Where'd the broad go?" It was the kidnapper's voice, she was certain. A muffled voice responded, but Christa could not make out what the person said.
Through a pain haze she heard Kirk's voice. "Police! Drop your weapons and put your hands where I can see them."
Two loud gunshots rang out. Two sets of feet moved quickly. She could not get her bearings. Did they run toward the woods or toward the apartments? Christa tried to get to her feet. She had to get closer to the hole through which she had fallen or Kirk would never find her. As she rose, her stomach turned upside down. The pain in her arm and hip was intense. "Kirk, I'm here," she whispered. The world turned sideways and she felt herself falling again.
THE FIRST THING SHE WAS AWARE OF was the pain in her left arm. Christa moaned and slowly opened her eyes. Why was it so very dark? And her mouth was so dry. She knew she wasn't in bed. The scent of damp dirt came to her and she remembered where she was. Christa struggled to sit up, but it only heightened the intense pain in her left arm and the lesser pain in her hip.
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then did it a few more times. It helped calm her racing heart, which she knew was beating wildly, in part from fear and in part from pain. The fear she could do something about. Think. Why are you here? What were you doing?
Slowly, it came back to her. She had been running from the men, they had shot at her. For the second time in one day she had lost consciousness. Not a record she ever hoped to break. More
Similar Books
