Page 52 of Suspicion

Branches, stems, and leaves filled the panorama around her. It might have been charming had her lungs not stung with the effort of running and the knot of anxiety in her tummy about her captor’s imminent approach not spurred her forward.

Tucker would come for her. He’d track her down like one of those poor bunnies he trapped and skinned, then she’d be done for.

“Stop,” she panted, willing her thoughts to quiet as she decided which way to go.

Every direction looked the same. She had no way of knowing if she was heading toward liberty or going around in circles, but either way, she couldn’t stay. She refused to play Tucker’s games.

When he’d let her down from the rafters in the barn, she’d been silly enough to think that playing nice and complying with his demands might be enough. Maybe she could get through by staying in his favor. Maybe the tantalizing caress they’d shared actually meant something.

But she’d been wrong.

There was no ‘getting through’ with Tucker. Even when the man wasn’t acting like a brute and accosting her against her will, he still insisted she remained bound and offered her food that might once have been her pet.

The man was disgusting. There was no reasoning with him.

That was why she’d had to get away.

It was why whatever came next was worth the risk of staying as his hostage.

Who knows what would have happened next?

The question pinballed as she leaped over a particularly large root protruding from the ground. He’d talked about tying her to his bed, and then what? Tucker had made no secret of his desire for her. She remembered the way he’d acted the night before, stripping and fondling her. She couldn’t let him get away with treatment like that, couldn’t give him even the slightest impression that his behavior was acceptable.

The whole sorry incident had to end before she got badly hurt. As it was, a few years of world-class therapy might be sufficient to deal with what had taken place. Much longer with her wild jailor and she wouldn’t be so lucky.

She paused by another gigantic tree, darting behind it to catch her breath. Her lungs burned as she struggled to calm her breaths. She swore she couldn’t ever recall running so hard before, and she dared not think how long she could sustain the effort. With no refreshments, little sleep, and a madman after her, her predicament was even starker after her recent bout of sickness.

How long could she last out there? How long until darkness crept over the canopy of leaves again and swooped on her like a devil? What would she do then, with no shelter and no ability to free her hands?

She inhaled at the litany of questions. There were no answers.

She’d done what she’d had to do to get away, but in doing so, she’d given no thought to her onward journey. She had to hope that she came to a road. There had to be at least a dirt track around there somewhere, didn’t there? How else had her useless father managed to get her there?

Maybe if she was truly lucky, a passing group of hikers might discover her and help her back to civilization. They might even have a phone with a signal that she could use. Hope bloomed in her chest, but it wasn’t nearly as prominent as the pain in her lungs or the pounding in her head. She could pray for miracles, but until one revealed itself, her survival was down to her.

“Better keep moving.” She peered around the tree, half expecting to see Tucker’s twisted expression leap out from behind it. Holding her breath, she was relieved to see that particular nightmare hadn’t come to pass.

“He’ll be on the move by now.” Steeling herself, she tucked the loose strands of her hair behind her ears. “I’d better go while I still have the light.”

She started on foot again, darting from one tree to the next, but this time, the initial burst of panic had passed. Sure, she knew he’d be hunting her, but her adrenaline was waning and knowing she’d need to potentially maintain her energy levels for hours to come, she saw no purpose in tearing off in what was possibly the wrong direction.

Better she be strategic, race from hiding spot to hiding spot, and keep her senses alert. If and when Tucker came, at least she’d have somewhere to curl up and conceal herself, and if she wasn’t sprinting around, he’d be far less likely to see or hear her.

Glancing around, she darted to the next enormous tree, using its trunk as cover while she thought through her next move.

What am I going to do?

For one painful moment, panic swallowed her up, jabbing at her knees until she landed in a heap on the carpet of fresh leaves.

I don’t know where I’m going. She gasped, overawed by the enormity of her situation. I’m going to die out here!

The sense of hopelessness was debilitating, mushrooming until there seemed to be no space for her to take another breath. Frantically, she pulled in air, resting her head back against the trunk as she tried to compose herself.

She had to be okay, had to get herself together.

Nothing would be gained by losing the plot this deep into the forest. Ella knew that, but she couldn’t recall ever feeling this type of desolation before. It dug into her soul, eating her up from the inside.

What if she never saw her mum again? Or her friends?

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