Page 5

Who was after her? Why was her brain encased in fog? Why couldn’t she remember?

Fiona stumbled, losing her grip on the back of Doc’s shirt. She managed to stay on her feet, barely. But she stopped in her tracks, having lost sight of Doc. Panic tightened across her chest until she felt his hand on her arm. The rest of him came into focus.

“Do you need me to carry you?” Doc asked in a whisper.

“No.” She tried to sound confident. Again, she glanced over her shoulder, seeing nothing but the dark outline of trees. “Are we safe?”

“We will be.” His grim expression softened. “Stay close.”

“Okay.” The momentary rest helped. She reached for the back of his shirt. “I’m ready.”

He nodded and struck out through the woods again. She had no idea where he was taking her. Having a vehicle would have been nice, but she didn’t voice her wish.

Soon they were angling in a different direction. Her muscles screamed in protest, but she did her best to ignore the pain. She had to keep going. At least she wasn’t alone.

Without Doc’s help, she knew she’d already be dead.

They moved through the woods for what seemed like eons but was probably only thirty minutes. Doc’s sweatshirt offered some warmth, but her legs in her wet capri slacks were cold. She ignored that too. When the foliage thinned, she caught a glimpse of a road and wanted to weep in relief.

Doc slowed to a stop, tugging her behind one of the large trees. He lowered his head to speak into her ear. “We’re going to stay within the trees, following the road for a while, before I try to get a ride.”

“I understand.” There was no sense in protesting. If whoever was chasing her had a car, she knew they were still in danger.

He searched her gaze in the dark for a moment. “Do you know who those men are?”

Men? As in plural? “No. How many were there?”

“Two that I saw, but I don’t know if there were more. I didn’t want to stick around to find out. That’s why we need to stay hidden a while longer.”

“Okay.” Two men. She struggled to remember but couldn’t. It was as if the dark fog encasing her memories refused to evaporate. “I’m sorry. I wish I could remember who they are.”

He didn’t say anything for a long moment, then set out again, heading to the right. Her sense of direction was gone, especially since she had no idea where she’d been prior to landing on Doc’s doorstep. He’d mentioned the river, and she assumed that accounted for her wet clothes and hair.

He moved slower now, likely for her benefit. She was grateful, even though she wanted nothing more than to sink to the ground to rest.

Keep going. She forced herself to put one foot in front of the other. Her saving grace was knowing Doc would keep her safe.

Fiona had no idea how much time passed. When Doc slowed to a stop, she leaned against a tree, then slid to the ground, her thighs quivering with exertion. This was it. She didn’t think she’d be able to go much farther.

Resting her head back against the tree, she stared blindly up at the darkness overhead. Her head pounded, and every muscle in her body ached. She felt as if she’d been pummeled by fists.

“Leave me here,” she whispered. “I’ll rest while you find a ride.”

Doc scowled. “I’m not leaving you. We need to go farther before we’ll be in range to grab a rideshare.”

A wave of helplessness hit hard. How far did he want her to walk? She closed her eyes against the sting of tears.

“Hey, it’s okay.” He rested his warm hand on her shoulder. “There are houses and a church in another mile or so.”

He referred to a mile as if that was a hop, skip, and a jump away. Yet whining wasn’t going to get the job done. They had a destination. A church and houses meant civilization. Although she couldn’t deny there was a part of her that liked the anonymity of the woods. She drew several deep breaths to calm her racing heart. Then she forced herself to stand. “Let’s go.”

“I’ll carry you if necessary.”

She shook her head. “I’ll be fine.” He was doing enough to help her. She would get to the church under her own power. She hoped. All she could do was pray for strength.

They continued their path along the road, while keeping to the shelter of the trees. Once again, the foliage around them thinned, and she caught a glimpse of a white building in the distance.

The church? She kept her gaze on the structure that shimmered like a beacon. Or maybe her vision was starting to blur. Hard to tell the difference.