Reaching a flat area, she plunged through the underbrush. Tree limbs whipped her body as she passed through, trying to slow her escape. Not to be discouraged, she pushed through the branches, the vines, the weeds, trying to entangle her in their webs.
Swinging her leg over a rotted, fallen tree, she sank into the pillowy dust of the forest floor, sending up a cloud in her wake.
Her chest pounded. Gasping for breath, she ignored the way her legs screamed for her to stop and rest. In her mind, there would be a perfect spot to catch her breath ahead of her. Somewhere hidden and safe. Somewhere she could think of where to take her next step.
Everything around her was so loud. The twigs cracked under her feet with each step. The leaves brushed against her before snapping back into place. The grunts came from her every time she landed hard on her feet or twisted her ankle, trying to keep her balance on a slope that tried to break her.
The rush of adrenaline, urging her on, dwindled the harder it was to catch her breath. A wall of trees blocked her path. She scrambled to the end and caught herself on the trunk, holding on. A twenty-foot rock cliff stopped her progress.
Groaning, she looked left and right. Finally, she spotted a change in terrain fifty feet ahead of where the mountain jutted out before gently sloping down. Inching her way along the ridge, she grew more concerned. It looked steeper up close.
She lowered herself to her butt and scooted forward, letting the heels of her sneakers stop her from sliding too fast and out of control. Bumping over the ground, she clenched her teeth every time the unforgiving rocks abused her ass.
The ground underneath her gave way. She slid. Grabbing out with her hands, the blades of the bear grass littering the mountain ripped across her palms.
Yelping, she came to a stop. Panting hard, she stared at her surroundings, amazed she'd made it farther and faster than if she would've walked.
Pushing to her feet, she held her arms out wide and navigated off the slope. The ground wasn't flat but it was manageable. Thanks to her fast descent down the mountain, she slowed to a walk. If she were going to put as much distance as she could between her and the cabin, she'd need to go at a steady rate.
A stitch grabbed hold under her ribs. She squeezed her side, trudging on. Every few minutes, she looked up and tried to get her bearings.
She had no idea which direction she needed to travel to get back to Avery Falls. But, after spending last night tied to what that man called a bed, anywhere was better than back at the cabin.
Goosebumps broke out on her overheated skin. She was lucky to be alive.
She knew the dangers of being out in the mountains by herself. While she'd worried about getting hurt or getting lost, she never once thought she had to fear two-legged monsters.
Stopping, she looked around. The overhead pine trees made it impossible to see how far she'd traveled. All she could do was continue. She'd stop once she got to a clearing and plan her next direction.
As long as she traveled down and not up the mountain, she went in the right direction.
More careful of each step, she heard a branch break ahead of her. She stopped, holding her breath. The tan rump of an elk moved, going away from her. She held still, giving the animal room to roam.
Listening to every sound, she understood the animals usually moved in herds. She wouldn't want to get trampled when the gang of elk came running to catch up.
A smaller movement to her left caught her attention. A baby elk tottered out from behind a bush, trying to catch up to its mom. She smiled, wishing she had her camera. While elk pictures were a dime a dozen, she loved capturing the gracefulness in which they moved. The mother/daughter bond, letting them traverse over the land, inbred in them from birth.
She swallowed heavily, missing her mom. She and Amelia had lost her five years ago after a long battle with a rare blood cancer. Having been raised by a single mother, both she and her sister were close to their mom.
Her father was never in the picture. Never missed. Never needed. Because her mom had done a great job raising her.
Though Amelia claimed Grace's independence and lack of wanting to settle down on never having a father figure, she would argue differently. She had too much to do in life to put the time and effort into keeping a relationship.
There were pictures to take, places to travel, and a whole world to understand before she concentrated on supporting a husband, raising babies, and calling one place home.
That's why she liked living in Canyon Beach. Tourists came and went. Friendships were fleeting and special. Drama and commitment were for other people.
She looked up into the sky. Yeah, she was over her current situation. She needed to get off the mountain and go home where there weren't naked mountain men kidnapping her.
The elk disappeared out of sight. She waited several minutes and veered toward the right, away from the animals, not wanting to run into them again.
Navigating over a fallen tree, she slid to the ground and plopped back, leaning against the trunk. Her legs killed her.
While she always went out into the wild on her freelance jobs, she usually went in her Jeep or rented an ATV or boat. She had some comforts from home surrounding her. At night, she had a tent or a hotel room where she could rest. The last time she walked a significant distance was when she and Amelia signed up for a 5k charity run in honor of their mom and those who either passed away or battled cancer. Even then, the run/walk took place on flat pavement through the seaside town and ended at the beach on sand. The whole event had more to do with the conversations between the participants and bonding over a shared experience than an actual race.
Pushing herself off the log, she walked toward her sister, her condo, her life. Someday, she would let herself fall apart when it hit her how close she had come to dying at the hands of a possible serial killer.
Ten minutes later, she spotted a single worn path. She hurried along, picking up her pace, hoping it was a deer trail and not a grizzly bear or moose path.
Jumping over a pile of elk pellets, she gained her second wind. Elk weren't known to attack and eat people.
She kept a steady pace. Not running, but she'd put any speed-walker to shame. The more ground she gained, the lighter she felt.
It was almost dizzying the closer she came to gaining her freedom. She was damn lucky to have escaped.
A man like that could've killed her. There was no doubt in her mind he would've snapped her neck as easily as he had thrown her on the bed. The evilness was in his eyes.
Hazel eyes were neither blue or green or brown. It was as if the human body couldn't decide on a color and left the decision up to those who had to view the eyes. While the person with hazel eyes had the added benefit of hiding their true feelings and emotions behind a muted color palette.
That's how she felt when looking in the man's eyes. He hid his emotions well.
She stumbled and fell to her knees. Pain spreading in her legs, she cried out, pushing to her feet. She forged forward, stifling her sobs.
Her biggest fear wasn't dying on the unforgiving mountain. It was leaving Amelia.
They were more than sisters. They were best friends. They were the only family each other had.
Slugging through the thick underbrush, she gazed up. Her view of the sky blocked by a canopy of tamarack branches. She turned in a circle. With her assessment blocked by the thick stand of trees, she couldn't tell if she was going up or down.
She groaned, planting her hands on her hips. "Stay calm. Take another look," she whispered.