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trying to listen above the overly loud sound of his own breathing.
    “Hey, c’mon, cutie.” The man’s voice was too close for comfort. Alexx’s eyes darted below the undercarriages of the

vehicles for any sign of movement, watching for a pair of legs, but it was too dark to see well. With dismay he realized he was about to run out of cars, which meant he’d lose his cover.
    “I didn’t mean anything, honestly. Just playing with you. Let’s go have a drink and start over. Let bygones be bygones.”
    It was on the tip of Alexx’s tongue to ask what about the knife, but common sense kicked in and he refrained. Think, think, what’s on the other side of the club? He knew there were no other structures nearby. Charisma literally sat in the middle of nowhere.
    He vaguely remembered seeing some trees across a field at the end of the parking lot. That didn’t seem the sensible way to go either, especially in the dark.
    So what did that leave?
    Lost in his own thoughts, he looked up to see the stranger walking directly toward him, lurching between the rows of cars.
    Terrified, Alexx fell backward, scraping his hands on the hard surface of the asphalt. He began to scramble backward, as the man advanced toward him, his bulk looming dark against the brightness of the moon. Small rocks embedded themselves in his hands, but he paid no heed to the pain, intent on getting away safely.
    He almost fell over backward when, instead of the unforgiving hardness of the pavement his palms encountered the softness of dew-kissed grass. He’d reached the end of the line. Rolling over, he lithely sprang to his feet and began to sprint. He had no choice now. He ran as if his life depended on it. Because it did.
    Thanks to the brightness of the moon, he could actually make out the outlines of the trees ahead of him. Where they went or how far, God only knew. He wasn’t familiar with this part of town. He made a mental note to get a detailed map of Crescent Bay tomorrow. If he could.

He didn’t bother to look behind him. He had no doubt he was being chased. At least he felt he needed to make that assumption.
    He felt the burn in his muscles as he pushed himself harder, flying across the field, praying there were no potholes. All it would take was one slip, one twisted ankle, and he’d be a goner.
    Panting, he reached the edge of the tree line and dared a quick glimpse behind him. He could see the silhouette of the other man, still in pursuit. He was too close for comfort. Alexx turned and plunged into the relative darkness of the woods.
    Panic welled up in Alexx’s chest. He didn’t know which way to go. How long could he keep this up? How long would it take the man to grow weary of the chase and give up? Would he ever reach such a point?
    He pressed against one of the trees, the bark digging into his back. He held his fist against his mouth as he worked to still his heavy breathing.
    “Come out, come out, wherever you are,” the man called out.
    Gasping, Alexx pulled his cell phone from his pocket, his hand shaking. He pushed 9-1-1 but nothing happened. What the hell? He held the lit face of the phone close to his face—he had no bars.
    Great. He slid it back in his pocket. Something clutched at his sleeve. He pulled against it, breaking free of the hold.
    “I’m here…” He heard a low chuckle.
    Alexx blindly ran.
    The voice followed him, taunting him. “You have no place to go. Let’s end this now.”
    He tripped over a tree root and went sprawling. Pine needles stabbed into his palms. He scrambled to his feet and kept going, ignoring the pain that pierced his knee.
    He thought he saw a dark blur out of the corner of his eye. He

turned away from it, brushing his shoulder hard against a tree. It tore at the sleeve of his jacket. He bounced off and kept going.
    These woods were deeper than he’d given them credit for.
    Even if he did reach the other side, no telling what was there. He might be heading into a blind alley.