Page 16 of Fate Awakened

Brown and white patches cover the ground, and towering pine trees fill the landscape as far as I can see. Packed dirt lies visible between small piles of ice and snow. Small patches have been worn into the area, almost like walking trails between the trees.

Turning to look behind me, I see a picturesque log cabin out the back window of the SUV. It isn’t enormous. It’s a single-story with a front porch that seems worn down by the weather but isn’t in disrepair.

Dark curtains cover the windows and appear to be for privacy more than style. A pile of wood sits stacked neatly by a solitary rocking chair near the front door that holds a bright red “No Solicitors” sign nailed to it.

How welcoming.

Before I talk myself out of it, I open the door, listening intently for Hudson. I hear the faint rustling of leaves, the hum of insects, and the occasional singing of a bird.

Now is my chance.

I hop out, my legs holding me solidly as I close but don’t shut the door in hopes he’ll think I’m still inside without risking the noise to actually close it. Once I’m around the front of the car without incident, I take off running.

While slow to respond to commands, my body stretches my stride and pushes me onto a trail without looking back. Adrenaline surges through me as I finally wake up entirely to the fight for survival bestowed upon me. I lose count of the number of tall trunks I dodge as I wind myself further into the woods. My breathing slowly becomes labored, and I consider how much farther I should run before I can get my bearings and look for civilization.

Hudson is in excellent shape. Not only that, but from our date together I know exactly how much he trains in the gym to remain that way. It’ll be a while before I can even pretend I have a head start. More importantly, I have no idea where I am, what direction I should be going, what direction I’m actually going, or how far from a town or city we are.

At this rate, I’m just as likely to end up lost in the woods and die out here from hypothermia as I am to find my way.

When I’m reasonably certain I’ve been running long enough, I cut off the worn trail and tuck myself behind a large boulder to catch my breath, cursing myself for not being more diligent with exercising.

That’s it; if I live through this, I will start running with Liv.

I lean into the rock doubled over, pulling in large gulps of clean pine-scented air while mentally going through what I know and making a plan.

I have been in the SUV for hours. At least six based on where the sun shines down on me, but it could be ten or eleven.

He took me North based on the temperature decrease and the presence of snow, which is nonexistent in Las Vegas most years.

He needs me alive for some kind of trade.

He’s part of or is tangled up with the murderous gang from the parking lot.

He works with Cain.

This thought throws me, and I pause to think through that piece of evidence I hadn’t considered.

Could Cain be mixed up in this gang too?

Shaking my head, I place that thought on the back burner of my mind to dive into more later because whether he is or isn’t matters very little if I die out here in the woods, and based on my calculations, I have less than four hours until the sun will disappear, and I can’t still be out here when it gets dark.

I turn around, surveying the rugged mountainous terrain, wondering if I could find high ground that would give me some visibility around all these trees. With my breathing solidly back under control, I can hear the sounds of small animals scurrying in the fallen pine needles, the faint snap of a twig, and the gurgle of a stream.

Water. Follow the water.

Maybe I can use it to take me to a pond or lake. People have cabins near lakes, so that could be my best bet.

Stepping back onto the worn trail, I inventory what I have. I’m wearing leggings, the oversized blue hoodie I stole from Keith, and black Nike cross trainers Liv bought me two years ago, hoping I’d be her running partner. I have no water, no food, and a terrible sense of direction.

I’m going to die.

Releasing a sigh, I march forward, trying to pay attention to anything that could be a landmark. A weirdly bent tree, a pile of boulders with lime green moss growing from the cracks, dead tree logs decaying into the undergrowth. I walk for what feels like almost an hour, but without a phone or watch, it could’ve been twenty minutes for all I knew. I take in the clear blue sky and peaceful sounds as I make my way closer to the sound of water. This would be a lovely hike if I weren’t lost, running from my kidnapper, and starting to get really cold.

I laugh at the absurdity of that thought.

“Sure, Bri, joke about being totally alone and lost in the wilderness,” I say aloud as I stumble a little over a loose rock in the trail.

“Not sure about the ‘totally alone’ part, but you sure do look lost, City Girl.”

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