He darted across the trail and felt an itch on his neck with every stride.
He reached the cave and climbed in to see how Black was doing. There was feed and shelter and water. The horse had it easier than Trace.
Wolf leapt through the small opening in the cave. He skidded onto his haunches to stop in front of Trace, then barked and clamped his mouth over Trace’s wrist. He didn’t bite, but he held on and pulled.
Trace followed along. “What’s the matter, boy? I’m ready to sleep.”
Wolf dragged him a few more paces before letting go. He then turned, barked, and dove out of the cave opening with one leap. He barked and growled and leapt back in again.
Trace had known Wolf for a long time. He kicked the rocks away from the cave’s entrance and saddled Black in record time. Wolf dashed out. Trace pushed Black as hard as he dared down the side of the rugged mountain slope. Wolf slowed from time to time so that Trace could keep him in sight. All thoughts of sleep were quickly forgotten.
Deb wished she could sleep so she could maybe forget what had happened for a few merciful hours. But she didn’t dare. She’d need to be alert, because she had a plan, and the timing of it could very likely be the difference between life and death. For too long she’d been waiting for her moment, but it just would not come.
Every time she closed her eyes, her mind was flooded with images of what could happen to her while these men held her captive. She was scared to death. She hurt something awful, especially her wrists and ankles. She’d been dragged around, hit a couple of times, and was so terrified she could barely breathe in and out.
Sleep would be a welcome escape.
The men were all in bed, not worried enough to even tie her up or post a guard for the night. And they’d used their names and made no effort to hide their faces. Deb had no doubt that their plans did not include her surviving whatever it was they were up to.
That made it worth her effort to try to run, even if at the risk of her own life.
Deb needed to slip away, but she’d heard these men plotting. Raddo seemed to be the leader—and he was the man she’d almost run into in Carson City. Meeks was the one with the high-pitched voice. Dalt was the one who’d grabbed her and treated her so roughly.
They’d laughed about what would happen to her if she tried to escape, and they’d said things that made her think they knew exactly where Trace was. They were a long distance from him, and if she ran off, they’d just track her down and drag her back. They’d made that threat several times.
But she would go despite that. Her wrists and ankles were feeling like they would work if she tried to use them.
Listening, she heard snoring. All three of them. There was no sign they were just pretending. She’d slip out quietly, but instead of running for her life, she would hide. She’d be careful of leaving tracks, find a place to hole up for a while. They couldn’t track her if she wasn’t moving—she hoped, anyway. She’d find a place fast and then wait in silence until help came.
She flexed her legs and her ankles to test the pain. It was bad, but not so much she couldn’t work through it.
Looking around at the strange overhang, she could be outside through a gap right behind her with only a few steps. She’d need to place her feet carefully. The moon was near full.
She’d seen Trace brush out tracks and step on rocks and logs when possible. Instead of running, she’d pick a deep shadow, stay still in utter silence. They’d have to trip over her to find her.
It was time. The snoring might not remain so deep for much longer. Their noise would cover hers. Gathering herself, she said a quick prayer, then was up and out in three soundless steps.
She listened again, heard no shouts or sounds of pursuit. A glance around showed a thick log. She hopped up, realizing she was fortunate to have boots on but sorry they made a tiny scraping sound against the log. Fighting each sound and hurrying each step, she walked the length of the log and saw where it crossed another one. She set out in a new direction.
A stone, swept clean by the wind, made a perfect next step. She finally saw what she wanted. A massive tree lying on its side, its roots forming a small cave. Almost too small. No one who wasn’t desperate would consider it a hiding place. She thought the men might just rush right past it.
With a prayer for protection, for God to close the eyes of her pursuers, and for help to come soon, she silently slipped into the cave made of roots.
CHAPTER
28
Utah held up his hand. Adam halted.
The kid was the perfect partner in this search. They were almost reading each other’s minds, communicating in utter silence.
They were on foot, leading their horses. It felt as if they were crawling along while fear for Deb ate a hole in Utah’s belly and drove him to hurry. But he fought down the urge. If he’d been hurrying, he’d have missed the turnoff and followed the false trail.
He turned from the obvious direction and followed well-hidden tracks. Well hidden, but not quite enough.
Picking out each step for as much as a hundred yards in the dark, twisting forest, finally he saw it. Utah smiled and held up a hand again. He tied his horse to a tree and stepped close enough to Adam so they could speak. Utah’s voice was quiet
