Harrison picked up on Sasha’s diversion right away. Clearly, the woman was using herself as bait to draw away as many as possible. That would make it easier for Harrison to free himself and the little girl. He respected Sasha's bravery but disapproved of her foolishness. Now, she was in direct danger and there was no way for him to help her. Now, he had no choice but to focus all of his attention on Tara.
Of course, that was what Sasha had wanted but Harrison was determined to save both their lives. He refused to let this town win. Carol had stayed behind as well as a handful of men and women. There would be no fighting his way out of this. He needed to stand up, grab Tara, and run. Then he would need to get to his truck. None of it mattered if he didn't choose the right moment to make his move. Too early and they would catch him. Too late and there might be no more opportunity to run.
He looked down at Tara and gave her a wink. The poor little girl was trembling. He couldn't blame her. He was scared himself. Pure terror must be pumping through her veins. It would be a hard road ahead for her, of that Harrison was sure. He could never have guessed how right he was.
Harrison reached out and grabbed Tara's hand tight in his own. When he felt the coast was clear, he stood up and bolted. Tara was pulled along behind him. "You've got to be kidding" he heard Carol yell from the community center. He took great pride in being a pain in her ass.
The remainder of the split mob now chased after Harrison but Carol stayed behind. Harrison didn't have time to wonder why. Instead, he dragged Tara in the direction of where he last saw his truck. With any luck, it would still be there and they would be home free. His thoughts turned to Sasha and he felt a pang of sorrow. They were going to catch her before he could get to her and he had no idea what they might do. He only knew it wouldn’t be good.
Chapter Nineteen
Like a demented version of the running of the bulls, Sasha bolted through town with the mob close at her heels. She had managed to break line of sight a few times but they always caught back up. It was the biggest drawback of her plan. They all knew the town far better than she. But to Sasha, it didn't matter. Catch her or not, Tara would be safe. Of that, she was sure. Harrison was a capable man. She had not known him for long but she knew a good man when she met one. It took years of living with an abuser to develop that skill.
She choked on the smoke as she ran past the left-over remnants of her smoldering home. The safety of the forest was only a few yards before her now. The townspeople may have known the streets like the back of their hands but she knew her chances increased dramatically in the forest.
As soon as she broke the tree line she began to run in irregular patterns. Running straight would make it easier to follow. Instead, she snaked left for several yards, then straight, and left again. Eventually, even she didn't know which direction she was headed. Let's see them follow me now, she thought.
She could hear them crunching through the forest in a desperate attempt to find her. Tracking her would be difficult, sure. But Sasha realized they had the numbers to fan out and cover more ground. If they did, as they surely would, she would be caught. She needed a plan B.
There was no other option than up. She had to climb a tree and hide there. It was risky, sure, but it was the only option she had. Getting cut off would mean the end. At least up high she had a chance of not being seen.
As she continued through the woods, she kept her eyes open for the perfect tree. It needed to be tall with a lot of branches and a lot of cover. The darkness would be her ally. High enough and it would shroud her from those below.
Her lungs burned as she raced through the woods until she finally came upon a tree she felt she could use. It stretched high up into the heavens with branches that twisted and turned in all directions. The thick, green leaves would provide all the cover she needed.
Though her heart pounded in her chest and her mind screamed for her to move her ass, Sasha had to take a moment to breathe. She was winded. Climbing a tree in this condition and she would be likely to fall. On the positive side, it would be the fall that killed her and not the town.
It was now or never. The ever-approaching sound of the townspeople drew closer. Sasha reached for the lowest branch and gripped it with both hands. It took all of her strength to pull her legs up and wrap them around. Once secured, she was able to pull herself up on to the branch.
There was plenty of room for her to stand. She did so, reaching for the branch above her. Unfortunately, it was just out of her reach. There was no time to climb around the base and find another branch. The mob was almost upon her. Instead, she did the only thing she could think of and prayed it worked.
She leapt as high as she could and grasped at the branch wildly. Her arms wrapped around it but the bark scratched up her forearms. Ignoring the pain, she pulled herself up and took a deep breath. Accessing the damage, she realized she was bleeding. There was no
