Page 2 of Desert Thorns
It was too late. There was no way I could turn now. This road was too narrow and framed by thick jungle on both sides. Not to mention I would run right into Craig’s open arms.
White-knuckling the wheel, I took one sharp turn after another. Where was I headed? Darkwater Refuge was a small island located in the Pacific Ocean, east of Hawaii. Circumnavigating it only took four hours, and there was plenty of civilization, but the northwest was cluttered with jagged green mountains and only accessible by foot.
Please tell me this is not where I’m headed, God. Please tell me this isn’t a dead end.Craig would catch me. And then . . .
No, no he wouldn’t. If I had to leave my Beetle behind and continue on foot, I would. Somehow, I would get away. God was with me.
The jungle cleared, and I emerged at the top of the hill. The headlights of my Beetle hit a cathedral, then a massive stone wall. I turned to the right, nearly crashing into a banyan tree. I swerved around it and ended up on a gravel parking lot. Beyond it was nothing but jungle.
I hit the brakes, cut the engine, and fled into the night. The air felt cooler up here, and suddenly I was cold in my bootcut jeans and turtleneck T-shirt. I sprinted past the banyan tree toward the cathedral. Hopefully someone was inside.
Low stone steps led up to a heavy oak double door. I almost tripped, but caught myself. My fingers trembled when I reached for the handle.Please let it be unlocked.
The door swung inside with a groan. Almost fainting with relief, I stumbled into the cathedral and quickly shoved the door closed behind me. For a moment, I just leaned against the hard wood and breathed in incense. Candlelight flickered at the front of the cathedral, the wooden pews throwing eerie shadows against the stone walls and marble floor.
A noise from outside made me jump. I whirled around, searching the door for a bolt or lock. Nothing. I wasn’t safe here.
Heart in my throat, I sprinted along the back row, then down the left nave aisle. A side door caught my attention. I tried the handle, and it opened. Fresh air hit me—back outside.
I ran to the back of the cathedral. Maybe I could hide somewhere here. Climb a tree or—
A sea of headstones bathed in moonlight opened up before me. A cemetery. And there were those thick walls again, running behind it. A glint of hope blossomed inside of me. If I’d be able to climb up, Craig could never follow me. Despite being a detective and strong, he wasn’t the best runner or climber.
Not thinking twice, I sprinted past the headstones toward the wall. It was at least fifteen feet high. If only there were a corner where I could tic-tac up. But there wasn’t.
Didn’t matter. I just needed to jump high enough to catch the ledge. After that, I could pull myself up.
With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.This verse was probably not meant literally, but I didn’t care. Repeating it over and over in my mind, I let it propel me forward until I’d reached the wall. I lunged. Shoved off the stone wall with my left foot, then the right.
And caught the ledge. A thrill shot through me. I still had it in me. But man, my hip. It still throbbed from that brutal drop onto concrete. I gripped the ledge with my other hand, then pulled myself up onto the four-foot-thick wall. If only I could lie here for a bit and catch my breath.
No, I couldn’t risk it. Craig only had to spot my Beetle—which wasn’t hard, considering it was lime green and parked out in the open—and he’d know that I was in here.
I scooted to the edge, and, holding onto it, lowered myself as far down as possible. Then I shoved off the wall, turned midair, and landed in the grass. To soften the blow to my ankles andknees, I performed a roll and came back onto my feet. Trees dotted the pasture all around me, a lake glimmering in the moonlight to my left. I pushed on. My hip screamed for a break.
Lord, I can’t go on. I need to—
A hooded man wearing all black stepped from behind a tree—and I ran straight into his open arms.
Chapter 2
Kingsley
The woman smacked so hard into my chest that I stumbled a step back. I caught her arms, steadying both of us. “Whoa, hey.”
“Let me go!” She tried to shove out of my grip while simultaneously clawing her fingers into my habit.
“Easy, I won’t hurt you.” I let her go, but she kept clinging to me like I was her lifeline. What had her so spooked?
I’d been doing a prayer walk on the property of Saint James Monastery when I heard a vehicle approach. Hardly anyone ever came up here at one a.m. Then I’d seen her scramble over the wall. How on earth had she gotten up there? It was fifteen feet high.
“You’re safe here, I promise.”
Something in my voice must’ve soothed the woman, because she let go of my habit and took two steps back. The moonlight glinted in her big eyes as she stared at me from four feet away like I was the one out of place here.
Wait. I still had the cowl up. Running into a hooded guy had to be scary.
I pulled it down. “Are you hurt? Do you need help?” I scanned her body for injuries, but apart from a tear in her jeans, couldn’t make out much. It was too dark.
