Page 19 of Trouble

“Still gonna do it, Trin.”

“I guess I just don’t understand why.”

“You’re out here, putting your life on the line to help your friend - my club brother’s woman - that means something.” She didn’t answer, but that might have been because she was too focused on breathing. We were both huffing and puffing as we came up the hill, but so were the assholes who followed us. In fact, we managed to get a good bit of distance between us because they were far worse for the wear. Between the elevation, the steep incline, and the fact that they weren’t used to the terrain, we had the clear advantage.

“Maybe we should switch back and head up and right again, so we’re closer to the vehicles.”

Just as she said that, I shook my head. I could hear a vehicle approaching above and the last thing we needed was to have more goons come down on us as we tried to get back to my bike and her Jeep. “I don’t think so. Get low, Trin. Pretty sure there are more above us now.” She didn’t argue, just tucked down into a crouch and dug her hand into the earth. I watched as she painted her face and hands with the red clay and then I did the same.

“Wipe it on my clothes too. I can get most of the front, but we need to blend better with the environment. I don’t think they’re used to playing war in the woods.”

I chuckled because it was something all of us kids who grew up around these parts used to do. We didn’t have much in the way of entertainment outside of our imagination and lots of forest to explore. It worked, and it came in handy at times like these. “Of all the people to be trapped on a mountain with, you’re the best, Trin.”

“Yeah?” She asked. “Remind me of that again when we’re both dying of thirst because we’re headed away from the major water sources and my mouth is already like the Sahara.”

Mouth breathing while puffing up the mountain was going to put a bigger strain on us than I thought about before. “We need to forget the parking area and head back down.”

“Did you forget about the gunmen waiting for us down there?”

“There were only two that I saw and they’ve worn themselves out already.” I glanced back and saw that one was leaned against a tree as the other had his hands planted firmly on his thighs. We can keep running sideways, but start angling down instead of up. There’s a stream down that is spring fed. If we’re lucky, we can get a drink and not get the shits.”

“Great. That’s perfect,” she tossed over her shoulder but kept moving and started to head in the direction I mentioned.

CHAPTER 13

COMING DOWN

TRINITY

The sun tucked backbehind the trees and the shadows grew longer. While it helped to keep us hidden, it also didn’t do us any favors. We lost sight of the goons following us from below and we never really knew if there were men above us again. With dusk settling around us, the temperatures started to drop as well. It would have been a welcome relief except the cooler air mixed with the sweat on my body and sent an uncomfortable shiver through me.

“Cold?”

“It’s going to get worse now that we lost the sun,” I mentioned to Trouble. “How are you doing?”

“Fine.” Like me, he had a few scrapes and scratches on his face, but he had on his leathers, since he’d been on his motorcycle. While they probably made him overheat and sweatier than I’d been, it would also help protect him from the cold once night really set in. “I thought I saw the road down there. We shouldn’t be far.”

“We need to be careful near the roads. We have no clue how close the goons were parked or how many of them are out here.”

“Who are they anyway?” I asked him.

“Fucking mafia from a Chicago outfit.”

“Chicago mafia?” I questioned. “What in the hell are they doing here?”

“That’s a good question, Trin. We can go back and ask them if you want.” I rolled my eyes. There was no point in calling him out on his sarcasm. We were both reaching the point of exhaustion and I was beyond thirsty. We still hadn’t reached the spring-fed stream Trouble thought was this way. I was tempted to stick my face into the next puddle we crossed and take my chances with getting diarrhea or worms or whatever. “We need to find some shelter.” We wouldn’t be able to light a fire or do anything about our comfort, but the truth was, we couldn’t see well enough to be traipsing through the woods. There were bears, snakes, and coyotes out here and I was fairly certain we were both short on bullets by then as well. “How many rounds do you have left?”

“Not sure. I lost count when I was coming down the mountain.” I tripped over a log, rock, or something on the ground that had been covered by leaves and barely caught myself from flipping ass over tea kettle down the rest of the mountainside. Trouble held onto my arms and I leaned back into his chest for a minute. “Look.” He pointed at what was left of the incline in front of us. “That is definitely the road. It’s a long void with no trees. If we get down there and manage to cross with no problems, I know where we can go. There’s a hunting shack down there a little ways and the stream isn’t too far from there.”

“Won’t they check the shack?”

He shrugged and I only knew because I felt the movement, since I was reluctant to give up the warmth he put off. “I think they’ve probably given up on finding us at this point.”

“Do you have your cell with you? I left mine in the Jeep when that bitch took off running.”

“It’s in my pocket, but that damn thing is probably dead by now.”

“We can try it.” There was a hint of desperation in my voice that I wasn’t proud of, but I had reached the end of my well of energy reserves. There was nothing left in my tank and we still had a ways to go before we would reach the cabin and that was only if Trouble wasn’t wrong about where we were. The minute the shadows started to creep in around us, I lost some of my bearings. Since the dark drew closer, it only made things that much worse.

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