Page 110 of Is Anyone Listening?
He tucked the gun into the back waistband of his jeans.
When we got closer, the woman suddenly whirled around in alarm, holding the flowers in front of her like some kind of shield. Then she dropped them and ran into the woods.
"Dammit," Finn swore as he broke into a run, and I quickly followed.
"Jessica," I shouted. "Ellen Clarke sent us. We're here to protect you. You're in danger. Please, stop."
At my words, she looked back, then stumbled over a branch and fell to the ground.
"I've got this," I told Finn. Then I slowly moved toward her. "Jessica," I repeated, bringing her gaze to mine. "You don't have to be scared. I'm Cassidy Clarke, Ellen's granddaughter. And that's Finn Kelly. He works at Kelly's Pub in Stonecross. We know why you had to disappear. We're here to help you. We think someone may be coming after you."
Jessica slowly got to her feet, her jeans covered in dirt and leaves, her face pale, her eyes wary. "Why did I disappear?" she challenged.
"Because you blew the whistle on fraud at your company, because a man named Marcus Pierce is awaiting trial, and your testimony could make sure he goes to jail."
"You could be here to make sure I don't testify."
"We're not the danger. That's a man calling himself Tyler Pierce, but he's not Marcus's real brother. He's been hired to find you. And he's on his way here. We need you to come with us."
"How do I know you're telling the truth? How do I know you're not the ones trying to kill me?"
I thought about that question, then gave her the truth. "If we wanted to hurt you, we would have already done that. Finn has a gun. He's an ex-soldier. He knows how to use it." I paused, looking back at Finn.
He took out his gun and pointed it down at the ground.
I turned back to Jessica. "We came to warn you, to get you out of here, to keep you safe. You have to trust me. I know about your mom, Lily, how Ellen helped her escape a long time ago."
Something in Jessica's gaze shifted. "You know about my mother?"
"Yes. I'm telling the truth."
"How did you find me? How does this other man know where I am? Did someone talk? Ellen assured me no one would know where I went. Was it that guy I gave my ring to? Did he rat me out?"
"He did," I said. "And Tyler tracked you from Cork Harbor."
"But I disappeared months ago. Why is this happening now?"
"Nathan didn’t crack until today."
She let out a sigh. "I had a feeling he was going to be a problem."
A car engine suddenly sounded in the distance, growing closer. And there weren't many other homes in the area. I glanced back at Finn.
"I'm going to check it out," he said. "Go deeper into the woods. And don't come back until you hear me say it's safe."
"There's a trail that leads to a beach," Jessica said, already moving. "Follow me."
We ran through the tall pines, Jessica moving with the confidence of someone who'd walked this path many times. I couldn't hear the engine anymore. I also couldn't hear Finn or anyone else. But it felt like someone was coming, or maybe that was my imagination…
Jessica suddenly tripped again, sprawling onto her knees. She grabbed her ankle in pain. "Damn. I think I sprained it," she said, gritting her teeth together as she winced.
"Can you walk? We have to keep going."
"I don't think I can. You should go on without me. If we're together, you'll be a target."
"I'm not leaving you alone. If you can't walk, then we have to hide. Come on." I grabbed her hand and pulled her up, then wrapped my arm around her waist as she hobbled and hopped her way into the thickest brush we could find. We knelt down, staying close together, hoping we couldn't be seen from the path.
The forest was silent except for our ragged breathing and the distant call of birds.
