But the truth was, he had everything to fear, because she intended to protect the man she loved, even if she had to put herself in danger to do so.
She still loved Philip and probably always would. But she was beginning to understand why he’d always been making plans to leave Fairplay, why he’d sometimes even seemed in a hurry to go. Because he’d been dodging danger and hadn’t wanted to bring her—or anyone else near him—into the turmoil of his life.
Well, once they were both free of the assassin—yes, she was being like her sister Charity and thinking optimistically in the situation—she wouldn’t try to convince Philip to stay. Wouldn’t even encourage it. Instead, she’d push him out of town and on his way just as soon as he could go so that he’d stay out of reach of his brother.
Would he have to keep running and hiding his whole life?
Poor Philip. What a lonely and dangerous existence that would be.
Her captor assessed her and the passageway for several long seconds. Then the light began to fade with the retreating footsteps. Even after he was gone, she waited, unmoving.
Finally she pushed up, took her bindings off, and stood. She guessed the assassin was keeping an eye on the entrance, lying in wait for Philip to make an appearance.
She’d never be able to sneak past him and leave the mine. Her only other option was to hide.
She turned and assessed the tunnel first one way and then the other.
The far end of the tunnel didn’t seem quite as dark. Was that the direction of the entrance? Perhaps radiance from the moon and stars was brightening it. That made sense. If Philip entered there, he’d see her on the track and come rushing toward her only to have the assassin step out of the side tunnel and block him.
She’d have to go the opposite way.
She didn’t know much about mines, but from the cobwebs and dust and broken rail, she guessed the area she was in was no longer in use. More likely, the entire mine was old and abandoned. If she started wandering around, she might encounter old tunnels that could cave in, loose rocks or beams, even unmarked shafts that she could fall into.
She would have to be careful, but she could do it. For Philip. If she wasn’t lying there tied up and helpless when Philip arrived, then the assassin wouldn’t be able to lure him in and kill him.
Creeping forward as silently as possible, she started down the track toward the unknown. As she reached the dark edges, she slowed her steps.
At a sound behind her, she glanced over her shoulder to find that the man with the flat black hat and cloak had stepped out of his hiding spot again. He looked at the empty spot where she’d been and then cursed. Even though the profanity was in a different language, it was still clear enough.
She darted forward, and her pulse sped with the need to get away and disappear into the darkness before he noticed her.
More cursing sounded behind her.
She picked up her pace.
A second later, he shouted, the call following her.
He’d spotted her.
With an urgency born of desperation, she raced faster, praying she could either outrun him or find a place to hide before he caught her.
21
At a distant bang, Philip’s body tensed.
Was it the crash of rocks or mining tools? Hopefully it wasn’t the shot of a gun. Please, not a gun.
Philip tried to crawl faster on his hands and knees, but he had to crouch low, his broad shoulders scraping the sides of the tunnel and slowing him down.
The fellow he’d spoken to in town had assured him the back entrance would lead into the main drifts. But so far, after crawling for at least a hundred feet, he hadn’t come across any other passageways.
He maneuvered the lantern ahead of him, the flame low to avoid drawing attention until he was close enough to Felicity to protect her.
He’d considered going in without light, but the old miner had indicated that he would get lost without it. Additionally, with the light he could read the map the fellow had drawn for him, showing him how to cross over to the front entrance of the mine.
The assassin was likely waiting by the main mine opening with Felicity, someplace where Philip would see her and be unable to resist going in after her.
Obviously the assassin had been in Fairplay for some time, at least since before the storm had closed the passes. He could have struck earlier. Could have attempted to capture him instead of Felicity. Could have slipped into his hotel room at night and slit his throat.
So why hadn’t the killer done any of those things? Philip hadn’t been able to work out the answers during the ride to the mine. Instead, panic had been building so that now it had developed not only a home but an entire city inside him.
Maybe he should have gone to the sheriff right away and rounded up a group to rescue Felicity instead of coming alone. He’d just been too afraid that if he showed up with help, the assassin would carry through on his threat to harm Felicity. And Philip couldn’t take the chance of anything else bad happening to her. This was already terrible enough.
With a huff of frustration, he wormed his way forward. He had to hurry and reach Felicity before the assassin grew tired of waiting for him to arrive and began to suspect that he was up to something.
Gradually the ceiling began to rise, and soon he was able to walk hunched over. The way was fairly clear with a rock pile or two he had to navigate around, just as the old miner had warned.
At another bang, this time closer, he halted. The sound was most definitely a gunshot.
What could it mean? Was the assassin shooting at someone?
His heart thudded with a burst of alarm at the prospect of the gunshots being fired at Felicity.
The lantern light cast a glow ahead on what appeared to be an intersecting tunnel. Philip held up the map and tried to determine his location. Was this the tunnel he needed to turn into so that he could make his way toward the main entrance?
The slap of footsteps was drawing closer from the intersecting tunnel. He set the lantern down, stuffed the map into his shirt, and unholstered his revolver. Then he flattened himself against the wall, the ceiling finally high enough that he didn’t have to slouch so far.
A figure raced into the intersection of the two tunnels. He had only to glimpse the hair to know it was Felicity. Before she could run to the other side, he snaked out his arm and caught hold of her, dragging her out of the line of the assassin’s fire.
She gasped and might have screamed, but he cupped a hand over her mouth and in the same motion drew her against him.
“It’s me,” he whispered.
In the middle of struggling, she froze. Her eyes widened.
At the oncoming footsteps, he released her, pushed her behind him, and lifted his gun.
She sidled behind him near his back. Her breathing was labored. From the blood stains on her coat, she’d clearly sustained injuries.
He didn’t have time to question her. He had to stop her pursuer.
Drawing in a steadying breath, he peeked around the corner. A man was about fifty feet away, his frame difficult to see in the darkness. Even so, Philip pointed his revolver and took a shot.
The footsteps halted, a gunshot resounded in return, and an instant later a bullet whizzed past him.
He pushed Felicity away from him down the passageway he’d just traversed. “Go. There’s a back way in and out of the mine.”
Felicity didn’t budge but clutched his coat. “I’m not leaving without you.”