The Sleeping Doll (Kathryn Dance 1)

"Come on, we've got to go."

"No, no, you go on. Please. I mean it. . . . You don't need to make up for what happened. You just saved my life a minute ago. We're even. I forgive you for what happened back in Seaside. I--"

"Not now, Linda!" Sam snapped.

The wounded woman tried to rise but then collapsed. "I can't."

"You have to."

"Jesus'll take care of me. You go on."

"Come on!"

Linda closed her eyes and began to whisper a prayer.

"You are not going to die here! Stand up!"

She took a deep breath, nodded and, with Sam's help, climbed to her feet. Together they staggered off the path, stumbling through brush and over roots as they made their way to the shallow ravine.

They were on a promontory about fifty feet above the ocean. The crashing of the surf was nearly constant, a jet engine, not a pulse. Deafening too.

The low sunlight hit them full on in a blinding, orange wash. Sam squinted and made out the ravine, very close now. They'd lie down in it, pull brush and leaves over themselves.

"You're doing fine. A few more feet."

Well, twenty.

But then they closed the distance to ten.

And finally they reached their sanctuary. It was deeper than Sam had thought and would be perfect cover.

She began to ease Linda into it.

Suddenly, with the sound of crackling underbrush, a figure pushed out of the woods, coming right at them.

"No," Sam cried. Letting Linda slump toward the ground, she grabbed a small rock, a pathetic weapon.

Then, gasping, she barked a hysterical laugh.

Kathryn Dance, crouching, whispered, "Where is he?"

Her heart slamming, Sam mouthed, "I don't know." Then repeated the words louder. "We saw him about fifty yards back that way. He's hurt. But I saw him walking."

"He's armed?"

A nod. "A gun. And a knife."

Dance scanned the area around them, squinting into the sun. She then assessed Linda's condition. "Get her down there." Nodding at the ravine. "Press something on the wound."

Together they eased the woman into the depression.

"Please, stay with us," Sam whispered.

"Don't worry," Dance said. "I'm not going anywhere."

Chapter 55

Winston Kellogg was somewhere to the south of them.