Page 1 of May 11

Chapter One

BANG

Cora Albright shot up from the bed in the recreational vehicle. Her heart pounded as she waited for another shot to validate what she'd heard. She was inside the city limits of Seaglass Cove. There wasn't supposed to be anyone shooting a gun.

She turned her head, looking at the closed blinds in each window. No lights were shining through. Maybe a car had backfired, waking her.

Crawling across the mattress, she peeked outside. The streetlight from the corner lit up the end of Coastal Foods parking lot where she parked a few hours ago. Despite the store allowing overnight parking for travelers and truckers, she was the only one who took advantage of the free offer.

Not seeing anyone, she got off the bed and looked out the other side of her Sprinter van toward the store. The loud noise had to have come from nearby.

A dark figure straightened ten feet from the window and looked in her direction. She jerked back, letting the blinds snap into place. Holding her breath to make as little noise as possible, she strained to hear what was happening outside.

That man had a gun. She'd heard it.

A car door slammed. She separated the slats and peeked outside to see a large black car burn rubber in the parking lot and drive out of sight. She stepped away from the window and sat on the edge of the bed.

All she could hear was her heart racing in her chest and echoing in her ears. After a year on the road, she had never been in a dangerous situation. The scariest thing she'd encountered were truckers who drove for a carnival. They only scared her because a large fight broke out, and she could not move her van.

But the man who had been outside tonight had a gun.

A low groan broke through her panic. She held her breath again as if not breathing gave her the superhuman skill to hear what was outside the recreational vehicle.

The moaning came again. It sounded like a wounded animal.

Could the man have been hunting? It was the Pacific Northwest. She was in Oregon.

She wasn't familiar with the laws and regulations surrounding hunting. Still, she couldn't imagine anyone being okay with shooting a gun within the city limits at night, no matter how small of a coastal town.

She peeked outside again to see if the car had returned. Satisfied the parking lot was empty, she focused closer to the motorhome and found a dark object on the ground.

She raised her hand against the window and blocked the glare. It was a man.

Scrambling to raise the blinds, she unlocked the window and slid the glass to the side. "Are you okay?"

With only the screen between her and the night air, she could see a man sitting on the pavement. She cleared her voice, ready to ask again, when the man raised his head.

"I need a phone." A deep, gruff voice broke through the night.

"I'll call 911." She reached back toward the bed.

"No. Don't."

She plastered herself against the screen. "Are you hurt?"

"Don't call the cops."

Seeing the phone screen, she pressed the cell to her chest to hide the light. She was afraid whoever was out there would see her inside the motorhome and realize she was alone.

"Did that man shoot you," she whispered.

"I'm okay." He pushed off the ground and swayed on his feet. "My phone's busted. Can you call someone for me?"

"Don't come any closer." She put her hand up, though he couldn't see her. "You look like you need an ambulance."

"No...no money." He stilled. "Call my friend. He'll help me."

She swallowed her concern. He was well enough to stand and talk to her.

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