Page 13 of Seeking Shelter

“Any sign of Denny?” Jonah asks.

“No. I don’t see him.”

“Fuck.” The curse is long and drawn out.

Even without binoculars I can see what’s happening. Abel goes straight to the corral. He opens the gate and shoos the horses out. They take off at a fast trot the way we’d come.

“He’s not taking any precautions. He knows we’re not there.”

The red speck that’s Abel climbs onto the porch and opens the cabin door. With no lock, there’s nothing to keep him from entering.

“That means he saw us leave.”

“Or spotted us hiking up here.” Looping the binoculars around his neck, Jonah slings the rifle across his back. “Let’s go.”

“Where?”

“Not down there. There’s no chance of catching the horses.” He looks behind us across the ridge. “We don’t know Denny’s whereabouts. Could be he spotted us and communicated that to Abel.” Studying the terrain, he says, “If we backtrack toward the creek, we might get ahead of them on the trail off the mountain.”

“We’d be exposed following the curve of the ridge. There’s another way. I can show—” Movement catches my eye and I grab Jonah’s arm. “I see Denny, he’s below the ridge about a hundred yards back.”

Jonah spots him. “Shit. Between him and Abel, we’re cut off from the creek.”

“Follow me.” I point. “If we head that direction, we’ll cross a path I’ve taken before.”

“Deeper into the mountains?”

“For now.”

There’s a shout from below. Abel’s in front of the cabin and pointing at us. He’s indicating our location to Denny.

“Then let’s go.”

I set a rapid pace with Jonah right behind me.

Below us treetops sway in the wind.

We need to get off the ridge.

“We’re exposed going this way.” Jonah echoes my thoughts.

“For a little bit, then we’ll be in the trees.”

The line shack appears through a break in the trees. There’s no sign of Abel. We’re nearing a steep rocky area with little cover. I stop, looking past Jonah along the path we’ve just taken. I don’t see Denny.

“We need to cross this way?” Jonah asks.

“Yeah.”

“Okay. I’ll go first with the rifle. Once I’m across, I’ll cover you.”

Which leaves him without protection. “I can cover you while you cross, and if we see them when I’m crossing, I can drop behind those rocks.”

He’s shaking his head before I finish speaking. “No time to argue about it. I’m going.” With a searching look behind us, he sprints across the exposed area, crouched over to provide less of a target as he runs. Once on the far side, he brings up the rifle to sight through the scope and beckons me to follow.

Halfway across, he shouts, “Angel, run!”

A shot splits the air.