With a mighty heave, they tossed him in. The cold water woke him up, and he screamed as the swollen creek carried him away. Jonah saw a log strike his head, and he went under the surface.
They could hear running feet behind them and both whirled. A big man was coming toward them—fast—holding an ax. It was Lisa’s father.
He lowered the weapon when he saw them but still looked wary.
“Are you the two people who saved my daughter?”
“Yes,” Alice answered, swiping water out of her face.
He gazed around, staring into the rain. “Where is the guy?”
Jonah gestured toward the water. “He slipped and fell in.”
“He did?”
“Yeah. And you’d better get out of here before that cop comes back and gives you a citation.” Jonah took Alice’s arm, and they started back the way they’d come.
“Wait. Who are you?”
“Nobody,” Jonah called over his shoulder. “Finish packing and get out of here before the water rises any farther and your whole family gets washed away.”
Without waiting for an answer, they walked rapidly through the woods. When they were out of sight and sure the father wasn’t following them, they embraced, just standing there for long moments.
“We got him,” Alice said, sounding like she could hardly believe they had done it.
“Thank God. But we’d better leave.”
Jonah reversed the process. Once again, Alice added mental energy, and he easily took them back to where they had started—only a few yards farther from the car.
Alice blinked in the sunlight. “Thank God,” she breathed.
oOo
Jonah tightened his grip on her, stroking his hands up and down her body, thankful that she was still in his arms. In truth, he hadn’t known if she would vanish after the killer was eliminated.
Lowering his mouth, he gave her a long, passionate kiss, and she responded with equal heat.
“Too bad we don’t have time to celebrate,” she said, when he finally lifted his head.
“Later.”
She grinned at him. “Those short time hops you practiced really paid off,”
“I was hoping they would give us the edge.”
“We should get on to the next project.” As she turned toward the car, she wavered on her feet, and he gripped her arm.
“Are you okay?”
Alice swallowed hard and gave the only answer she could, “Yes.”
“Good girl. I know you’re shaky, which is all the more reason to finish this thing quickly.”
“You mean because Hayward is dead, and the clock is ticking for me?” she said with a little hitch in her voice.
She was sure he wanted to deny the danger to her, but he wasn’t going to lie.
“Exactly.”