Page 22 of Scent of Evil
They rode in silence for a solid fifteen minutes until he spotted what appeared to be a rocky overhang that might offer the shelter they needed. It wasn’t the one Decker had used earlier; they were too far south for that.
“Raine?” He raised his arm to indicate the rock. “We may be able to stop there for the night.”
“You think we should stay out here all night?” Her eyes widened in alarm, as if he’d suggested they dance naked in the rain.
“That’s up to you and Ginny.” He thought they looked rather pathetic, considering the distance they had yet to cover. “If you’re not going to make it, we need to find a place that will provide cover in case it rains again.”
“I don’t feel good,” Ginny said again. “My stomach hurts.”
That was enough for Raine to nod in agreement. “Okay, if you think that’s a good spot, I’m fine with that.”
“Good.” He reined Blaze to head back up the incline. He thought they were far enough from where Decker had taken off that they should be safe. The guy was on foot and had been heading northwest.
Hopefully, the convict hadn’t doubled back to catch up with them.
He urged Blaze to go a little faster now that the rocky overhang was in sight. As they drew closer, he could see the overhang wasn’t as large as he’d hoped. It would offer some protection, but not a lot if the wind kicked up.
The woods were wet, which would make starting a fire difficult too. Justin was struck by a moment of indecision. Was he doing the right thing by stopping?
Or should they keep pressing on?
“Aunt Raine, I’m going to be sick.” Ginny’s warning came moments before he heard her gagging.
That settled it. He nudged Blaze with his heels until they reached the outcropping. Justin slid from Blaze, then took a moment to lift Stone to the ground, before rushing over toward Ginny.
“I’m sorry.” The girl’s eyes filled with tears. “I didn’t mean to throw up.”
“It’s okay, it’s not your fault.” He lifted her down, frowning when he realized she was burning up with a fever. Glancing up at Raine, her expression was grim as well. Riding together as they were, Raine would have noticed the warmth radiating off her niece.
Feeling helpless, he carried Ginny beneath the rocky overhang, setting her down on the dry earth underneath. They were miles from home with a sick kid.
What else could go wrong?
6
For the third time that day, Raine’s legs collapsed beneath her when she’d slid off Timber. Sitting on the ground in an ungainly heap, she couldn’t even bring herself to feel embarrassed. Her idea of riding had been laughable, and if it hadn’t been for Ginny being Decker’s hostage, she probably would have given up hours ago.
If Justin thought her a pathetic weakling, he didn’t let on. Instead, he crossed over to her side. “Are you okay?” His blue gaze was intense with concern. No doubt imaging what he’d do if he had two injured people on his hands.
“Yep. I’ll manage. Ginny’s the one who’s sick.” Thinking of her niece who’d been through more than any eleven-year-old should have to tolerate, steeled her determination to move. She pushed herself up and wasn’t surprised when Justin spanned her waist with his hands, helping her upright.
The man might be younger than her by what felt like a decade, but he was strong. She managed to smile in gratitude.
He stood for a moment, offering her support. “I have a blanket in the saddle bag for Ginny. We can use the horse blankets too. But I only have more protein bars for dinner.”
“We’ll survive.” She glanced past him to see Ginny had curled into a ball as if to get warm. Stone had gone over to sit beside her, as if sensing the girl needed his comforting presence. “I don’t know what’s wrong with her.”
“Could be anything, even the flu.” He stared down at her for a long moment, then released her, stepping back. “I need to care for the horses. They’ve worked hard today.”
“Of course.” She was touched by how Justin insisted on taking care of the animals—Stone, Timber, and Blaze. If not for the K9 and the horses, they’d never have been able to rescue Ginny.
She owed Justin Sullivan more than she could ever repay. Even if her body felt as if she’d been battered with clubs.
Justin crossed to Blaze and rummaged in the saddle bag. He tossed Raine a blanket, then removed the satellite phone and set that beneath the overhang. When that was done, he unsaddled the horses, murmuring in low tones about how wonderful they’d been and how grateful he was for their strength and endurance.
She was oddly touched by his words as she hobbled on aching legs toward Ginny. She settled the blanket over the girl, then stripped off her poncho, turning it inside out and tucking it beneath Ginny’s head for a pillow. Then she sat gingerly beside her. “Are you feeling any better?”
“No.” Ginny turned to look at her, then drew the edge of the blanket up to her chin. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m sick.”
