Page 8 of Dangerous King
The dogs are getting closer, and I realize we're not going to make it to the wall. Shots are fired from the other side of the house, but not at us. Hopefully, whoever this is or whatever is happening will keep Giovanni occupied enough not to come looking for the girl. If he finds her with me, being dead will be the least of our problems.
"Hurry, up that tree." I point at my favorite tree in the yard. With some luck, we might still make it over the wall.
The tree is easy to climb, and I've spent many afternoons hiding in it. Nobody ever found me when I was in here. I give the girl a boost as she sets her bare foot on top of the first branch and then follow her, just as a dog tries to nip at my ankle. Quickly, I pull up my leg. I note with approval that she is already higher up andstill climbing. Soon, four dogs surround us.Madre di Dio, if they don't stop, they'll give us away.
"I'm Izzy," the girl says, looking down at me.
"Catalina," I reply, momentarily changing my focus from the dogs to her.
"Thank you." Tears brim in her eyes. "I won't forget this, I swear."
"First, we need to get out of here," I warn her. We're not safe yet.
"Go, shoo," I tell the dogs, waving my hands, hoping they remember the treats I gave them over the years.
"What are we going to do?" Izzy asks. She looks fragile, sitting on a branch, her back leaning against the tree trunk, her knees hugged close.
"I don't know, but as long as those dogs are here, we're screwed. We can't do anything. We can't get down, and they'll give us away."
She nods her understanding, but she doesn't look defeated. Hope flares once again on her face when I climb up past her, finding a sturdy branch. I grab it with both hands and let my legs fall. The dogs go even crazier, but I'm still way above their heads.
"Cat, what are you doing?" Izzy's whispered call is alarmed.
Hand over hand, I maneuver myself closer to the next tree. I've done this before, climbed from one tree to the other, like a monkey. One of the only times I've been happy about not weighing much. Unfortunately, the tree trimmers must have been here recently; the branch from the other tree is gone.Shit. Discouraged, I make my way back, spurred on by the dogs'frantic barking. Two jump up and down, coming too close to my bare feet for my comfort.
Izzy holds out her hand to help me, but I don't need it.
"You're crazy," she grins.
Probably, I agree. Crazy for having freed her, crazy for trying to get us out of here. Crazy for thinking we ever stood a chance.
She cocks her head.
"What?" I ask.
"The shots have stopped." She replies thoughtfully.
She's right. The night has fallen silent once again, aside from the damn dogs.
"They'll come for us," Izzy's expression is resigned.
I look up the tree. We could climb higher. But the stupid dogs are like freaking beacons.
"I'm sorry," I say.
A sound of another gun firing rings out, startling us. A man howls in pain.
"Oh God," Izzy starts to pray.
I take her in my arms.
"They'll torture me, won't they?"
Another shot rings out, followed by another man's anguished howl.
I don't answer her. We both know the answer.
"What will they do to you?" Her voice is strained with worry, fear, and a barely audible sob. Something inside me melts. How can she be capable of thinking about me right now? I'm so grateful for her words; my eyes sting. It's been years since anybody cared about me. I try to play it off and shrug.
