After about fifteen minutes of running, she ducked down and hid behind a log for a moment so she could catch her breath. Her chest was hurting and she took a deep breath so she could calm down. I need to get into better shape, she told herself hysterically. She couldn’t feel her arms anymore either. She sat still for a few minutes, trying to think. Running in circles would do her no good. She needed to concentrate and not panic. She couldn’t hear Chico’s footsteps or yelling anymore. Did he turn around and get lost? She hoped so. Should she make a run for it? She quietly stood up and listened for a second, when she heard no noises, she took a chance and started running again, ignoring the coldness and the pain in her feet. She couldn’t just sit on the ground all night crying, although she was tempted to. She had come this far and she was determined to escape these woods and make it back to Ryan’s arms.
* * * *
“We found Chico’s campsite,” Gabe reported over the walkie-talkie. He gave them the coordinates. “They’re not here. She must have gotten away from him.”
“On it,” said Logan and sped up. They were only seconds away from there.
Ryan made sure his gun was loaded and ready. He’d just found Lacy. No way was he going to lose her! He’d kill Chico first. They parked next to Gabe’s Jeep and got out. They went running toward Reynolds Farm as fast as they could. Please God, let her be alive! Ryan thought to himself as he ran with his heart beating loudly in his chest. He had never felt such crippling fear in his life. She was never leaving his sight again!
They found Ethan and Gabe right away looking around. The campsite was empty and quiet but there was evidence of a struggle then he saw the blood and groaned. Was Lacy running around in the woods bleeding and hurt? He felt his panic rising but didn’t give in to it. Lacy needed him strong and clearheaded. He was not leaving these woods without her, no matter what.
“She must be on the run,” Ethan said, pointing to the two sets of tracks going deeper into the woods. One was heavy, someone wearing boots. The other was barely visible.
“She’s alive, Ryan,” Gabe told him quietly. “She was smart enough to get away from him and we will find her alive.”
Ethan kept going and they followed soundlessly, listening for any noises. As they entered deeper into the woods away from town they heard yelling, it was faint but they followed it, running as fast as they could.
* * * *
Lacy kept on running. She had no idea how long she had been running or if she was even close to town or a house. All the trees look the same, she thought frantically. She was starting to get hysterical and she wanted to sit on the ground and give up. She no longer felt the cold but she was tired. What if she was running in circles and ran straight into Chico? She had heard him yelling out her name a few minutes ago. Suddenly she ran into a hard body in the dark and screamed loudly struggling to get away. “No! No!” She had to make it to Ryan! She had to!
“Shh, shh, Lacy, it’s me, Gabe. Ryan is behind me.” She heard the whisper in her ear and felt arms go around her, trying to keep her from falling to the ground.
Lacy sank to her knees on the ground, breaking down with relief and crying hysterically. “Ryan? Chico is out there. He has a big knife and he tried to rape me but I got away. I think I lost him,” she told them, sobbing loudly. She saw the four men standing there looking at her with shock, but she didn’t have the strength to get back up. She hurt all over and she wasn’t sure she would ever feel warm again. She wanted to lie there and cry for a while. She was exhausted, the adrenaline fading away and the pain rushing forward.
Ryan held his anger in when he saw her torn clothes and bloody feet and her arms tied behind her back. Ethan handed him a knife, his face cold and angry at Lacy’s condition. Ryan got on his knees next to her and cut the rope, rubbing her arms up and down when she cried out in pain. He took off his jacket and wrapped it around her, hugging her tightly and covering her with his body and warmth. Her body was shaking uncontrollably from the cold and probably from shock. Chico was going to be one sorry asshole when they caught him. He’d make sure of that personally.
Ryan held Lacy tightly, rocking her back and forth. His own body was trembling hard. He was trying to hold all his emotions in before he unmanned himself. He wanted to break down and scream his rage into the night. What had Chico done to his woman? The rest of them looked just as angry as Ryan did. They were standing guard around them so Chico wouldn’t sneak up on them.
“I’m scared. He’s still out there,” Lacy cried, grabbing Ryan’s shirt as tight as she could, snuggling into him as if she could crawl inside him and hide. “He’s crazy, Ryan. I mean insane crazy.” She knew she sounded hysterical but she couldn’t help it, nor could she make herself stop crying. She felt cold all the way from the inside of her and her feet were throbbing now that she wasn’t running anymore. “We got to get out of here, please. He was right behind me. He’ll kill us.”
“We won’t let him get you again, Lacy. I promise you that,” Ethan swore, his voice cracking with anger. He looked straight into her eyes, promising her safety and revenge. That was the last thing she saw before she gave in to the blackness and fainted.
Ryan was dying inside. His heart ached with pain at seeing Lacy so terrified, and he wanted to go after that scumbag himself, but Lacy had to come first. She had passed out and she needed medical attention. She had a big bump on her head and God knew what other injuries she was suffering.
Gabe seemed to see Ryan’s dilemma and assured him. “Take her to Doc’s. We won’t let him get out of these woods, Ryan. I promise you that.”
Logan and Ethan nodded, checking their weapons and getting ready to hunt. They would get Chico and put him in jail where he belonged.
Doc lived less than half a mile from here. He’d have to carry her there but he could make it unless he ran into Chico.
“Lacy! I’m gonna kill you, bitch, after I make you suffer!” Chico yelled loudly about twenty feet from them. “You can’t run far enough, Lacy, so why don’t you just come out!”
Logan looked ready to take Chico down. “You’ll be safe taking her to Doc’s house. We know where he is now.”
Gabe grunted with disgust, shaking his head. “What an idiot, making all that noise.”
Ryan nodded, picking Lacy up. “Thanks guys,” he said in a choking voice. He blinked back the tears. Later he would give his emotions free rein, but for now he had to stay strong for Lacy’s sake.
He took off the opposite way of where Chico was. Doc didn’t live too far but Ryan would walk a hundred miles for Lacy if he had to. He felt a few tears slipping from his eyes but he didn’t care. He was so grateful she was alive and he vowed to take care of her forever.
Chapter Thirteen
Lacy woke up screaming and hitting wildly. “No! No!” she yelled, thinking she was still lost in the woods with Chico. “I don’t want to die.”
“Shh, shh, you’re safe, Lacy. I’ve got you, baby.” Ryan picked her up and rocked her on his lap, kissing her face and wiping away her tears. “Chico can’t hurt you ever again.”
Lacy stopped crying and hugged Ryan back, laying her head on his shoulder, scared to open her eyes and find she was just drea