Page 6 of Shadow City: Silver Wolf

A problem for after I reached the water.

Watching the ground closely, I looked for patches of mud, roots, and tree branches that could make me stumble or fall. Unfortunately, this slowed me down, but that was marginally safer than taking a tumble. Another reason I'd stayed close to the road—more stable ground.

The downward slope helped me run faster. Tree branches cut my arms, causing some bleeding, but nothing that fazed me. I barely felt the burn and the sting, but what was all too easy to feel was that I was their fucking prey. Something that angered both my wolf and me.

Their footsteps grew louder, alerting me that they were catching up. They were larger than me, so gravity worked in their favor.

I hadn't thought the plan through, but the river grew closer.

As long as I reached it before they caught up, I should be good. My plan was to go underwater and swim for as long as possible so they’d lose sight of me and my scent.

"I see her!" one of them shouted, way too close for comfort.

Ignoring the overwhelming urge to look over my shoulder, I pressed forward.

Murky water appeared between some trees as the Tennessee River came into view. The water didn't appear to move fast, but that was misleading. In spring, there was so much rain that the current was strong. Luckily, the section down here didn’t have heavy traffic. The boats stayed mostly north of us, so it wasn’t risky to swim around here.

My attackers’ breathing was so loud that I could tell they were almost on top of me. If things didn't change drastically, they'd catch me before I reached the river.

I hadn't run over fifteen miles to be captured now.

Concentrating on my goal, I threw caution to the wind and hauled ass, no longer caring about my footing. I pumped my arms at my sides, trying to make my feet move even faster.

As I reached the embankment, the mulch turned into muddy stone, and I leaped.

"No," a guy screamed as something snagged my right ankle.

Twisting my body to the right, I used my left foot to kick the punk in the face. His head snapped back, and his grip on me loosened.

I fell on my back, barely short of the water, my head dangling off the edge of the embankment. I raised my head to see nine men stalking up only a few yards away from me.

If I didn’t do something, they’d catch me before I hit the water.

The guy I’d kicked was knocked out, so I climbed over and grabbed his gun. I hated using guns, but right now, it was a necessity. I stood and fired at the rest of the men, who were too close for comfort.

“Take cover,” one yelled as all nine scattered. I waited a second before firing again, keeping a random pattern in hopes that they’d wait to ensure I was done firing before racing after me again.

Not far away, the river curved sharply. If I could hold my breath long enough, I could still lose them. After a few more random gunshots, I squatted so they couldn’t get a good visual. I fired once again then let my natural instincts take over. I flipped backward and hit the water feet first, sinking under the surface, and swam as hard as I could, using the current to my advantage.

I swam deeper, hoping the extra cloudiness of the water left over from the storms would hide me. A few bubbles hit my leg, informing me that at least some of them had jumped in but that I’d gained some distance.

Swimming was one of my favorite pastimes, something I was grateful for now as I kicked as hard as I could with the current to get as far ahead as possible. My lungs began to burn, needing oxygen. I exhaled a little, trying to prolong the time before I would inevitably need to resurface.

After several more strokes, I had to emerge. Trying to be careful, I allowed only the top of my face to break through the water, hoping to stay hidden.

"Look, there she is," one of them yelled.

Dammit. I submerged once more and let panic push me harder than before. I couldn’t let them catch me. If I did, then all the lives sacrificed for me would be in vain.

I couldn’t live with that.

With each stroke, I expected to be grabbed, but it didn't happen... at least, not yet.

I swam diagonally, hoping to catch a stronger current. When my lungs began to scream again, the water pushed against my back, propelling me forward.

Good, but I needed to replenish my air supply.

I waited as long as I could before my instincts took over and my arms pushed me toward the surface. However, the current wouldn't release me, and I was too weak to break through.

---