Page 60 of Captive

I moved toward him, determined to find the kind of strength that would allow me to get through this.

He led me outside, constantly swinging his head from one side of the yard to the other as he headed for the trees. Even though there was a slender moon, the darkness was oppressive, keeping my nerves on edge.

We moved quickly, heading into the dense forest. Within seconds, I almost tripped over the underbrush, but managed to keep from falling. At least I hadn’t made a single sound, although I had to wonder whether my hammering heart could be heard from a distance.

Nikolai kept us going in the dark for several minutes, finally stopping. After a few seconds, he shifted in my direction. “Okay. Keep the flashlight pointed ahead of us. If you hear anything, turn it off immediately. Got it?”

“Got it.” My hand shaking, I flipped the switch, grateful for a warm glow of light guiding our way. We continued forward and I struggled to avoid the fallen limbs, constantly listening for any sounds indicating they’d found us. We had to be approaching the clearing. It seemed like we’d been trekking through the woods for a full half hour. When the light caught an opening, I breathed a sigh of relief. We might make it after all.

Without breaking his stride, he headed for the stored boat, immediately starting to drag it away from the clump of trees where he’d hidden it. Refusing to allow him to perform the task alone, I sucked in my breath and raced to help him. Together, we managed to drag it toward the edge of the river. Now, the rushing sound of water seemed more oppressive than it had been before.

“Take one of the bags and climb inside,” he commanded in a hoarse whisper.

I did as he asked, navigating the rocks more difficult than I’d thought. When I was finally inside, he handed me the other two bags then shoved the boat further into the water. Almost immediately the current caught it, pulling the boat away from the area quickly. Panic rushed into my system, a cry threatening to bubble to the surface.

There was no hesitation. Nikolai slipped into the water, managing to snag the rim of the vessel within seconds and hoisting himself on board.

That’s the exact moment it seemed all hell broke loose.

Voices.

They were close, the words clearly said in Russian. Then there was light, several powerful flashlights shifting from one side to the other.

“Damn it,” Nikolai hissed then struggled to unfasten the oars.

The first gunshot rang out before he was finished.

The second just as he slapped them both in the water.

The third, fourth, and fifth popped into the water only inches from us.

I suddenly couldn’t breathe, my entire body shaking. He started rowing, using his powerful torso muscles to swiftly take us several yards away.

But the gunshots continued, several men yelling in Russian.

“Stay down,” Nikolai commanded, grunting as he picked up the pace in his actions.

The assholes refused to stop, the crackling sound of limbs indicating they were racing along the shoreline in an effort to get to us. I kept the light in both hands, the direction allowing me to see Nikolai’s pained face as he fought to get us out of harm’s way. I felt helpless.

“Take the gun, Chloe.”

“Why?”

“If they get too close, you’re going to need to fire the weapon. Can you do that?”

My body stiffening, I bit back a cry and crawled forward, reaching for the gun. My actions almost tipped the boat over.

“Slow and easy.”

Pop! Pop!

The whooshing sound from the two shots was followed by the realization that the bullets entered the water only inches from the boat. My determination on overdrive, I pushed forward, managing to grab the weapon with a single hand.

“Use both hands. You can do this.”

While his encouraging words would normally help, I was scared out of my mind, but I followed his orders, placing the flashlight down and with two hands, aiming the gun toward the trees.

“Listen for the crackle of trees before firing.”