Page 44 of Dangerous Lies

Jax let out an uncharacteristic curse. Then, without warning, the vehicle jerked sideways. Megan was thrown against the door, her skull knocking against the hard surface. Pain splintered through her head, a brutal reminder of the stitches still holding together the wound from the first attack in the woods.

Shivers wracked her body. From the cold. From the pain. From the fear.

Trees closed in around them as the SUV jolted over rough terrain. Jax had veered onto a dirt road. He yanked the wheel hard, and the vehicle shuddered before finally jerking to a stop.

Jax killed the lights, plunging them into suffocating darkness. Megan heard his door open and felt rather than saw him move. A moment later, the passenger side door flew open. Jax was a dark silhouette against the storm.

“Come on.” His voice was urgent. “We have to run.”

Run? Where?

Megan scrambled out of the truck, her boots sinking into the mud. The storm made it impossible to see more than a few feet ahead. Wind tore through the trees, rain slashing sideways. Lightning split the sky in a jagged streak, followed by a boom of thunder so powerful it rattled her bones.

Headlights swept across the dirt road.

The shooter was coming for them.

Jax grabbed her hand. His palm was slick with rain and blood. Together, they bolted into the woods. Wet branches slapped Megan’s face and roots threatened to trip her as she struggled to keep up with Jax’s breakneck pace. Her breath came in ragged gulps. Traversing the woods in the dead of night reminded her of the first attack. Panic threatened to overwhelm her, but Megan battled it back. She wasn’t alone. Jax was with her. Falling apart would put his life at risk by slowing them down. She would never do that.

She was strong. And God was always with her.

Help us, Father.

Jax suddenly lurched to the side, his hold on her hand slipping. Megan caught him just as he stumbled.

Lightning blazed across the sky, making the woods as bright as a summer day. Jax’s face was ghost pale and twisted with pain. Blood ran like a river down his hand. In the other, he gripped his gun. He raised it and fired into the woods. Then he grabbed her hand again.

Bark exploded beside Megan. She screamed and ducked, barely able to catch her footing as Jax yanked her deeper into the forest. She couldn’t hear anything over the pounding of her own heartbeat and the rain, but it was clear the killer was following them. And closing in fast.

Jax veered to the left, and a clearing appeared. An ancient barn loomed. Overgrowth climbed the broken boards, giving the impression that the earth was trying to take back the structure. Rain slicked over the steel roof. Jax pulled her across the clearing. Megan struggled to keep up, her shoes sliding in the thick overgrowth. Snakes and ticks crossed her mind. She tossed the thought away. There were far deadlier things in these woods tonight.

A door swung violently on its hinges, slamming against the side of the building with each gust of wind. Jax released her long enough to grab it, gesturing with his gun-wielding hand for Megan to go inside.

She bolted through the entrance. Birds in the rafters stirred at the unwelcome intrusion. The air was thick with the scent of mold, damp earth, and rotting hay. Water dripped from her soaked raincoat onto the cracked cement floor. Behind her, the door slammed shut. She spun just as Jax wedged a wooden beam through the handle to barricade it. It wouldn’t hold the shooter back for long, but it would buy them a few precious minutes.

Jax yanked his phone from his pocket. The screen glowed, revealing the call from the truck was still connected. “We’re in the barn. Noah, can you hear me?” He glanced at the screen and growled. “No signal.”

“How far away is he?”

“Five minutes. Dawson is with him, but it’ll take them time to reach the barn from the road.” Frustration bled into his voice. “The shooter was wearing night vision goggles. Even in this storm, he won’t take long to track us. Especially if he’s been here before.”

“There’s a place we can hide.” Megan grabbed Jax’s arm, forcing his attention to her. Then she spun on her heel, heading deeper into the barn. She flicked on her phone’s flashlight to illuminate the way.

The old structure groaned under the storm’s assault. Wind howled through the rafters, rattling the tin roof. Rain dripped from holes overhead, pooling around bales of hay stacked haphazardly against the far wall. Something skittered across the floor, and Megan clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle a scream.

A mouse darted into the darkness.

She swallowed her revulsion and pushed forward. The horse stalls ended, revealing a row of doors. One led to an office, another to a tack room. Dust coated every surface.

She yanked open a third door. Rusted hinges groaned in protest.

The stockroom.

A workbench stretched along one wall, nails protruding from the rough-hewn planks above it held rusted tools. Cobwebs hung from the ceiling, swaying in the draft. The air was thick with decay and mildew. Her breath fogged in front of her as she pointed to another door at the back of the room. “That’s an exit.”

Jax brushed past her to check. He cracked it open, peered into the night, then shut it again before securing the lock. He turned to Megan, exhaustion and pain etched deep in his face. Even so, he managed a reassuring smile. “You did good, sweetheart. A room with an entrance and an exit.”

She took no comfort in his compliment. Blood dripped down his hand, staining the dusty concrete floor dark red. Jax was bleeding badly, and judging from the paleness in his complexion, he was running on strength of will and adrenaline.

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