Dylan searched the tree-line, his eyes looking for anything that was out of the ordinary. It took him a moment before he spotted the car tucked carefully into a grove of aspen and saplings. The dark green of the car hid well.
She was in that car. He didn’t know how he knew it, just that he did. Bonnie was in that car.
He checked his phone. Would security get here in time?
He knew they wouldn’t. It would only take the man at the gate a couple of minutes before he figured out how to unlock it. The process wasn’t very hard. Dylan made a mental note to have Brian update that as soon as possible.
He sent a message to Brian to come to the east gate with as many men as possible. As he put his phone in his pocket, his fingers brushed the pocketknife he kept there. It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing. He pulled it out, keeping it loose in his hand.
Dylan crouched low and made his way over to the aspen grove. He moved through the dappled light, doing his best not to step on any branches or do anything that might give his position away. His breath was shallow, and he was sure the man would be able to hear his heartbeat.
Carefully, he moved to the driver’s side door. The man at the gate swore again, and Dylan froze. The sound of the chains moving against the gate followed. Dylan didn’t have much time. He had no doubt this would get ugly fast if the man caught him.
He cracked the door, staying low and trying to stay out of sight. The door opened with a low creak that made Dylan wince. He held his breath and looked out. The man hadn’t noticed. He was too busy threading the chain from around the gate.
It was an older car, which Dylan was grateful for. It meant there was a trunk release, rather than having an electronic option that would be more difficult to get to. He pulled the lever and prayed the man didn’t notice.
The trunk popped, but the man was too busy opening the gate. Dylan didn’t have a second to spare. He pushed the door shut as quietly as possible and hurried back to the truck.
His heart was in his throat as he opened it. If she were hurt.. or worse... he didn’t know what he’d do.
“Dylan?”
Her voice was rough as she sat up, blinking against the light.
He wanted to kiss her, to hold her, to tell her she was safe. But she wasn’t safe. Not yet.
Dylan looked over at the gate to see it swing open. He grabbed Bonnie under the arms and pulled her out of the trunk, closing it hard. He hoped that the man was too distracted to notice the sound.
She clung to him, her breathing fast. He needed to hide her. There was a gooseberry bush growing near the back tire of the car. It wasn’t big, but it was close. He carried her behind it and set her on the ground.
She looked up at him, and he put his finger to his lips. She nodded.
He couldn’t fit behind the gooseberry bush. It simply wasn’t big enough for the two of them. The sound of the man’s footsteps as he returned from the gate filled his brain. Without thinking, he stabbed his pocketknife into the back tires and then ran behind one of the aspen trees.
He felt like a child playing hide and seek. All it would take was one look back to see a man hiding behind the slim tree. He got as low as he could, but all it would take was one good glance. He gripped the pocketknife in his hand and prayed.
If the man did see him, Dylan would use the pocketknife. He would make sure that the man saw Dylan and not Bonnie. He would keep her safe, even if it meant his life.
The man kicked at a stick, sending it flying into a tree. Dylan was sure his heartbeat was loud enough for the entire state to hear. The man paused as if listening.
Dylan took a slow deep breath. He was ready.
The man shrugged and opened the car door. The car groaned with the new weight as he slammed the door shut. The engine started, and the car rolled away.
Dylan didn’t dare move until the car was past the gate. Even then, he was afraid that the man would look back and see the two of them, hiding behind a tree and a bush. A three-year-old could find them if they looked.
But the car kept going. It pulled onto the dirt road, and the engine revved. A cloud of brown dust followed it as it escaped. He knew that his knife would give the driver a flat tire by the time he was down the mountain. The police would catch him easily.
“Dylan?” Bonnie’s voice held panic and relief at the same time.
He ran to her.
She pressed her face into his shoulder as he held her to him, whispering his name like a mantra. He whispered hers right back. He held her to him, afraid that she might be ripped from his arms at any moment. He would never lose her again.
Chapter 36
Bonnie