The caves!
There were a series of caves just a short way down the trail that I could hide in.There were numerous side tunnels to dart down if whoever had shot at me followed me inside, and I knew them all like the back of my hand.I tried to gauge how far I was from the entrance.Did I have time to reach them?A loud crash from the direction of the shot made my mind up for me.I might not make it to the caves, but I sure as heck couldn’t stay here and wait for the archer to let another arrow fly.
The trail which had seemed so relaxing earlier became a treacherous nightmare when I needed to move quickly.The moss-covered rocks were slippery, the dirt sections were slick with mud from the low-lying mist, and the overhanging branches reached down to snag my arms and clothing.
Diego padded silently behind me like some type of furry rear guard, and I was thankful for his reassuring presence.It felt like I’d been slipping and sliding along the trail forever, but finally the pile of rocks that marked the entrance to the cave system came in sight.Motioning Diego to follow me, I hurried to the entrance.
A yawning blackness stared back at me from the depths.I hadn’t brought a flashlight, but I had my phone.Pulling it out of the armband, I activated the flashlight app.The phone lit up and I let out a ragged sigh of relief.Not a halogen headlight, but it would do the trick.Edging my way in through the narrow entrance, I wrinkled my nose at the smell of the damp interior.Had something died in here?
Getting out of sight before the shooter showed up took priority over sensibilities and I scurried into the beckoning darkness.I hurried as much as I could using the weak light from my phone, desperate to put as much distance as possible between myself and the idiot with the crossbow.
The cave system branched into separate tunnels ahead, causing me to pause.Which one gave me the best chance of escape?I chose the tunnel on the right, which not only had the most twists and turns but several smaller connecting tunnels that led back to the entrance.No chance of being trapped in a dead end.
The first turn in the tunnel let me slip out of sight of the entrance, and I quickly doused the flashlight app.Creeping back to the corner, I peered out to see if I could spot my pursuer.
The sound of my own heart beating echoed loudly in my ears.I wondered if I was blowing this way out of proportion.An overeager hunter could have heard me slogging my way up the river trail and taken the shot before he got a glimpse of me.They could have missed hearing me call out.You heard stories all the time of overeager hunters shooting dogs, cows, and other non-prey animals.
They would have seen my tracks in the mud when they went to retrieve their arrow though, and were probably shitting themselves now, wondering how much trouble they were in for taking a potshot at a human.Maybe they were chasing me to make sure they hadn’t hurt me.Sasha was always telling me I had a habit of overreacting and expecting the worst.
I took a deep breath and concentrated on slowing my heartbeat.
“Can you see her?”The angry voice came from some place beyond the clearing.
I blinked, backing farther into the welcoming blackness of the cave.
“Nah.Stupid bitch probably fell in the river when she figured out we were shooting at her.”The owner of the second voice snickered loudly.“She didn’t look too bright.”
Diego let out a low growl, and I felt the fur on the nape of his neck stand up.I grabbed his collar, giving it a sharp tug so he knew I wanted him to stay quiet and still.
Seems I hadn’t been overreacting after all.
“Well, she was bright enough not to wait around for us to take a second shot.”
“Shut up and keep looking.I don’t like the idea of leaving witnesses behind.”
“What witnesses?She couldn’t have seen anything from where she was.”
Witness to what?Hell, I hadn’t even seen who these men were.I couldn’t identify them if I wanted to.
“Maybe not, but I don’t want to take any chances.We need to make sure she doesn’t get off this island.”
“Don’t worry.”The total lack of emotion in the second man’s voice sent a chill down my spine.“She’s not going anywhere.”
Chapter Three
Ryland
I fought my way back up out of the blackness.Fuck, my arm hurt.I opened my eyes slowly, making sure there weren’t any nasty surprises looming over me.
Bears.
Poachers.
Whatever else this godforsaken clump of dirt in the middle of the ocean had to offer.It might not have a name on the map, but I could think of a few I’d like to tag it with.
Nothing and no one stared back at me.The leaves swayed lazily above me in the breeze, and insects hummed as they went about doing whatever the hell it was they were doing.I was smart enough not to move this time.I needed to lay still long enough for my body to do its job and clot the blood over the mangled flesh.Fleetingly, I wished I’d thought to harvest some extra bark from that birch tree.The numbing effects of the poultice were starting to wear off.Hindsight wasn’t helpful, though.I needed to concentrate on my current situation.
Chasing poachers would have to wait for another day.I had no idea what I’d done to piss off Karma, but it must have been major.
