Page 45 of Silent Menace
Before he could finish, a loud crack sounded. Hailey’s window exploded inward.
GLASS PEPPERED HAILEY’S FACE, neck, and arms. The bottle that she’d just been lifting to her lips was ripped from her grasp, adding a spray of water to the pandemonium.
“Get down!” Peter grabbed her shoulder and yanked her forward before she had a chance to comprehend what was happening.
Another crack rang out, then another. Gunshots. They were being shot at, she realized. Pain sliced across her calf. “Agh!”
Peter gunned the engine and jerked them onto the road. She thought they’d turned in the opposite direction from where the bullets were coming from, but she couldn’t be sure. A second later, another shot sounded, decimating the back windshield this time.
Pop. Pop. Pop.
From her position, bent in half with one hand covering her head and the other gripping her wounded leg, she couldn’t see what was going on outside the vehicle. She briefly considered releasing her seat belt and sliding onto the floor, but she wasn’t sure that was a good idea. And what about Peter? He didn’t have the luxury of ducking out of sight.
She stole a glance his way. His expression was grim but determined. He’d slouched just enough in his seat that he could still see without being so visible from behind. But was that enough? If the shooter really wanted to hit him, they could use the seat back as a pretty good indicator of where his body was.
“Hold on,” Peter yelled.
Another series of shots began. Centrifugal force threw Hailey against the door of the vehicle as they took a turn at a much higher speed than usual. The car lurched and started to fishtail. Her head bumped the dash.
A loud flapping thump began to rise over the sound of the engine. One of the bullets must have hit a tire. Peter muttered something she couldn’t make out as he tried to wrestle the vehicle into submission.
“Get ready to run.”
“What?”
“I can’t keep driving like this. If they have access to a car, they’ll catch up to us before we reach safety.” The car bumped and jolted as they went off the road. Hailey bit back a yelp. “I’m getting us as close to the tree line as possible, then we’re going to have to try to outrun them on foot.”
She did as he said, but her mind raced as she unbuckled. Could she run? She didn’t think the bullet had done more than graze her leg. Fleeing in a knee-length suit skirt would be uncomfortable, but there wasn’t much she could do about that now. She wished she had time to grab her sneakers from the back seat. Of course, they might well be filled with glass shards at this point.
As soon as the car lurched to a stop, Peter threw his door open. “Move. Now!”
She was already in motion. Once she was out of the car and away from the broken window glass, she kicked off her pumps. No way was she going to risk turning an ankle or face-planting with those things on. The sound of an approaching vehicle sent a bolt of terror through her, but she didn’t have time to dwell on whether it was friend or foe. Peter grabbed her hand, and they dashed for the woods.
24
Peter pulled Haileydeeper into the woods. He wasn’t familiar with this area, but getting out of sight was more important than knowing where they were going. Once they’d put some distance between themselves and the road, they could stop to reevaluate things.
He had no idea if the shooter would continue to pursue them. Or if the revving engine he’d heard was even their assailant. What he did know was that the situation had shifted. Whoever was after Hailey was still out there, and they were out for blood.
Beside him, Hailey panted—from the exertion or from fear, he wasn’t sure. She hadn’t complained though, despite the rough ground and brambles that had to be tortuous to run through barefoot and in a skirt that provided no protection to her lower legs.
His own breaths came fast, but he was doing okay. He’d worked hard to regain his strength and stamina over the last two years, and unlike the woman running alongside him, he’d dressed casually today. Though he wouldn’t normally work out in blue jeans and steel-toed boots, he was thankful for the protection they provided. He only wished Hailey had that same protection.
They ran for several more minutes, following a random zigzagpattern to lessen the chances of being found easily. But eventually, he felt Hailey slowing. He needed to find a place where they could hunker down and rest—and call for backup if they had signal.
A thicket loomed not too far ahead of them. That would be as good a place as any. He tightened his grip on Hailey’s hand. “Just a little farther,” he whispered.
She nodded but didn’t reply. They reached the thicket, and he quickly moved some of the branches aside and pulled Hailey into the hollow with him. They sat with their backs as close to the base of the plant as they could get. It wasn’t perfect coverage, but the leaves should help conceal them as long as no one looked too closely.
Hailey pulled her knees to her chest and lowered her head against them. She was breathing harder now. He hoped she wouldn’t hyperventilate. He hated that he’d had to push her so hard, but they hadn’t had much choice.
He shifted in the small space until he was able to extract his phone from his back pocket. Miraculously, he had a signal. Only one bar, but that should be enough to call or get a text out.
Deciding to start with a text so he wouldn’t make any more noise than necessary, he found Detective Thornton’s number and sent a quick message with their general location and a request for help. Before he’d finished drafting a more detailed message, three dots appeared on the screen, then a reply.
Be there ASAP. Someone already called it in. Officers on the way.
He released a silent sigh of relief. After sending his follow-up text, he nudged Hailey. She lifted her head wearily, and he tilted his phone her way. As she read the message thread, he studied her. He hadn’t had a chance to get a good look at her since the bullets started flying. Anger filled him as he took in the tiny cuts on her face and arms. The scratches covering her legs. Her right handwas clamped awkwardly over the fleshy part of her calf. Peter looked closer. Blood dripped from beneath her fingers—more than a brush with a thorny bush would account for.
