"Inside. All the way back."
She disappears into the darkness. I turn to cover our approach, rifle raised, scanning for pursuit.
Nothing. Yet.
I back into the cave, my eyes never leaving the creek bed. The cave is narrow but deep, extending back into the mountain. I've cached supplies here—water, ammunition, a first aid kit. Emergency gear for exactly this scenario.
Vivian is pressed against the back wall, her Glock raised. Her hands are steady, but I can see the whites of her eyes in the darkness.
"Did we lose them?"
"Temporarily. They'll search the creek bed, find our exit point. We have maybe ten minutes."
"Then what?"
"The cave has a back entrance. Leads out to the western slope. From there, we can reach the main road."
"You planned for this."
"I plan for everything."
She laughs, and the sound is wild and scared. "I love you."
"I love you too." I pull her close, one arm around her while the other keeps my rifle pointed at the entrance. "We're going to get through this."
"Promise?"
I can't promise. We both know I can't promise. But I say it anyway.
"Promise."
The sound of boots on rock cuts off whatever she was going to say. They've found the cave.
"Back entrance. Now."
I push her deeper into the darkness, one hand on her shoulder to guide her. The passage narrows, forcing us to move single file. I can hear voices behind us now, echoing off the stone walls.
"They're in here. Fan out."
Flashlight beams stab through the darkness. I fire twice toward the entrance, buying us seconds.
"Faster."
The passage turns sharply, and suddenly cool air hits my face. The back entrance. Just ahead.
"Go. I'm right behind you."
Vivian squeezes through the narrow opening and disappears. I follow, my shoulders scraping against rock as I force myself through.
We emerge onto a steep slope covered in loose scree. The moon is bright here, no tree cover, nowhere to hide. We're completely exposed.
"Down. Move."
We half-run, half-slide down the slope, stones clattering beneath our feet. Behind us, I hear someone emerge from the cave entrance.
The shot takes me in the left shoulder.
The impact spins me around, and I lose my footing. I'm rolling, tumbling down the slope, my rifle flying from my hands. Pain explodes through my body as I crash into a boulder, coming to a stop in a heap of limbs and agony.
