Alaskan Mountain Pursuit Elizabeth Goddard (best short novels .TXT) 📖

He shouldn’t have brought Sylvie here, but he hadn’t known it would end like this.

He said a quick prayer over Snake then, “I’m sorry, Snake. Real sorry.”

Will pushed to his feet and scraped the raw emotion from his face, letting anger and determination push up and drive him forward. He hefted Snake in a fireman’s carry and trudged to the cabin. He’d have to get to Juneau before he could organize a funeral for the man, but until then, he wouldn’t leave his body to the wolves.

Wolves came in many different forms.

When he made it to the cabin, the door opened and Sylvie stood there wide-eyed and waiting.

“What happened?”

“They got Snake. We have to leave now. I heard them landing.”

“I’m so sorry.” Sylvie looked as if she would cry, but ran her hand across her eyes and swiped the emotions away.

“No time for regrets. If we want to live we have to go.” Will looked her over. “Looks like you’re ready. The temperature is dropping. We have at least three hours to hike and evade capture while we wait for a rescue. Grab the packs. I’m going to use the radio one last time.” He went to the small room where Snake kept his Ham radio. Again, old school, but Chief Winters kept one, as well.

Will made the call and warned Chief Winters what had happened so he could bring backup and understand the urgency and danger they would face. Will wasn’t sure how long he and Sylvie could last, but knowing that others were on their way to help bolstered his confidence. He had a smidgen of hope they would survive.

It didn’t last long. Not when he heard what the chief had to say next.

He finished on the radio and hung his head.

“What’s wrong?” Sylvie asked from behind.

“Their helicopter was diverted to another emergency and delayed. Chief Winters promises to find other resources for us and send them as soon as possible. For obvious reasons, I can’t hang out at the radio and call someone else for help.”

He left the room and grabbed one of the packs that Sylvie had set next to the sofa. Snake had prepared food and supplies for them. Will scrambled to put it on as Sylvie did hers. Wait. Will had to carry Sylvie instead of the pack. Snake was supposed to carry one of them and now he was gone.

Sylvie leaned against the sofa and watched him. “What are we going to do?”

“We’re going to survive.” He refused to let her see the fear that gripped him. Only his determination to stay alive.

“You ready?”

She nodded.

“Let’s go.”

He tried to assist her, let her lean against him to walk across the cabin, but she shrugged out of his reach. “I can do this.”

He’d let her think that until they had to run. For now it was awfully quiet out there. Will peeked through the door, weapon at the ready. They would be most vulnerable leaving the cabin, but he’d stay close to the trees. Snake had done well in using the canopy to hide this place, though the smoke from the chimney had most decidedly given them away to anyone bent on finding them. But all they had to do was stay alive just long enough to make their rendezvous—and hope that help would actually arrive, as planned.

Before he opened the door wide, he looked at Sylvie. “We’re going to make a run for it. And you might not like this.”

Her eyes grew wary. “What?”

“I’m going to carry you piggyback style. It’s the best way for me to run and make good time and get us out of danger.”

Sylvie opened her mouth to argue then shut it. She blew out a breath. “Okay.”

“All we have to do is stay alive long enough. Help is on the way. They’re coming for us.” Just not as fast as Will had hoped.

He’d never had to run for his life. Never had to protect someone or help them this way. He never wanted anyone to depend on him like Sylvie depended on him, though she’d never admit to that. But he could see the uncertainty and apprehension in her eyes—beautiful hazel eyes that he wanted to look at again under much different circumstances.

Knock it off.

Will opened the door and positioned her on his back. “Are you okay? Am I hurting you?”

“No. I’m fine.”

But he heard the discomfort in her voice. She wouldn’t tell him she was in pain.

A bullet slammed into the log next to his head.

They were out of time.

SEVEN

Sylvie fought the scream that exploded in her throat.

Will slammed the door shut. Ignoring her ankle, Sylvie slipped down to let him catch his breath. He pressed his back against the door.

“God, we could use some help here,” he said between gasps. “They’re a good distance away so we have this one chance to escape the cabin.”

After gesturing her out of the way, he motioned for her to duck down. “Be ready to run.”

Then he opened the door again to deliver a round of bullets. He slammed the door and picked her up and ran to the back of the cabin. He set her gently against the wall as if she were porcelain.

“We have seconds before they make the cabin.”

She gulped a breath. “How many... How many are there?”

“I don’t know.” Will struggled with the window. “Two maybe.”

She hoped he didn’t make too much noise so they’d focus on the front door. “Before, there were only two men. Diverman and Rifleman.” That she knew about. Had there been someone equally murderous driving the boat? And obviously, someone had stolen her boat, moving it out of her reach. Destroying the evidence she’d even been there.

Will finally got the window open then quietly slipped through, watching the woods as he assisted her out. The trees made good cover here, if nothing else. But then there was an open patch they had to cross. Sylvie followed him through the window, ignoring her pain, bruises and scratches from yesterday. What did any