Page 13 of Scent of Evil
“There’s a small amount of blood along the edge of this rock.” He picked it up and carried it over so she could see for herself.
“Blood!” Her voice came out in a horrified croak.
“Don’t panic, it could be Decker’s blood,” he said, although he didn’t necessarily believe it. “We don’t know for sure that Ginny has been hurt.”
The stark expression in Raine’s eyes indicated she believed the blood was Ginny’s.
The only way to know for sure was to catch up to their quarry. He bent to scoop Stone into his arms. The dog had done his job very well. The tire tracks were deep enough that he thought they could follow them for a while, giving his K9 a break.
Yet the bloodstained rock sent a renewed sense of urgency washing over him. If Ginny had been hurt in some way, it was imperative that they caught up to them as quickly as possible.
4
Tears filled Ginny’s eyes, blurring her vision. She’d dropped the rock! Her attempt to keep the makeshift weapon hidden from Decker forced her to keep it nestled in the palm of her hand. But she hadn’t realized how difficult it would be to hang onto the frame of the four-wheeler with the rock in the way. As the machine shifted from side to side over the hilly terrain, with Decker going as fast as possible, the edge of the rock had cut deep into her skin. With every sideways movement, the sharp edge had ground into her palm until the pain got so bad she’d had no choice but to let it go.
Now she had nothing to use against Decker. Nothing!
She sniffled and kept her gaze averted so he wouldn’t see her crying. She tried to focus on the self-defense classes her aunt Raine had given her. How her aunt had praised her for being smart and quick on her feet. She could still escape him, even without the rock.
Maybe. It was hard to stay positive and determined when he leered at her, then pulled over long enough to fire the gun toward her aunt Raine, who Ginny knew would ride to her rescue.
She hated Decker so much! She couldn’t believe he’d shown up at her house! He’d said she was the one who’d gotten away, but not anymore. He’d told her he’d come to get her because they hadunfinished business.
And worse, he’d claimed she belonged to him now.
Ginny knew what he meant, and the thought of him touching her made her feel sick. Strangely, that image helped her to get a grip on her panic. She stiffened her resolve. No way. She wasn’t going to allow him to do anything to her. She would find a way to escape. No matter what.
All she needed was a chance.
Hopefully soon, before Decker reached whatever hideaway he was taking her to.
* * *
The imageof the bloodstained rock was imprinted on Raine’s mind. Was it Decker’s blood? As much as she wanted to believe that, she doubted it. The wind had shifted, so the muffled roar of the four-wheeler came in snatches now. It wasn’t a constant strumming sound the way it had been. The bloody rock had been discovered after they’d left the shallow cave, so she didn’t think Ginny had used it against him in an attack.
But she suspected her niece had wanted to.
Raine never felt as helpless in her life as she did in this moment. Ginny was in serious trouble, and despite her best efforts, using Justin and Stone to track her niece, they weren’t close enough to save her.
How much longer? She glanced up at the dark cloudy sky. Was God really up there watching over Ginny? It surprised her how badly she wanted to believe He was. That He would protect Ginny until they could reach her.
Please?Her whispered plea was snatched by the wind.
Ignoring the burning pain in her butt and thighs, she urged Timber into a trot, closing the gap between her mount and Justin’s Blaze. Somehow, she’d fallen behind. He was carrying Stone again, giving the dog a well-deserved rest. She couldn’t fault him for that. Especially as she caught glimpses of the tire tracks Justin was following through the woods. She had no doubt that Justin would put Stone back to work if they somehow lost sight of the ATV’s path.
Especially if the machine ran out of gas.
How much longer before Decker stopped and did something terrible? She didn’t want to ruminate on the worst-case scenario, but it was difficult not to.
Her stomach growled with hunger, which only made her worry more about Ginny. Her niece would need food, water, and shelter soon, and she didn’t trust Decker to provide any comfort to the young girl.
Quite the opposite.
Timber settled back into his swaying walk behind Justin. She scanned the terrain beyond them, hoping for a sign of the four-wheeler. It was possible Decker would try to find another high spot to fire at them again.
“Justin?” She urged Timber forward so she could have a conversation. “How soon will our backup arrive?”
He glanced at her, then shrugged. “We’re out of cell range at the moment, so I can’t ask that question. I have a satellite phone, but with the clouds overhead, it may be difficult to get a signal.”
