The Jeep tilted as Hugh settled behind the wheel. He cranked the engine… and it caught. First try. Jocelyn’s place might not be brand-spanking-new looking, but apparently she kept her machinery in good mechanical condition. The engine hummed as smoothly as Hugh’s voice had.
Easing the vehicle forward, he drove slowly at first, no revving or grinding gears or spitting rocks. He increased the speed at a steady pace so the noise almost seemed to blend with the jungle night sounds.
He steered clear of the main house as long as possible, but even from her low vantage point, Amelia could see that eventually they would have to drive within sight of Jocelyn’s home. Going straight to the beach wasn’t an option, as Hugh had told her the entire place was fenced in. The front gate was the weakest vantage point for breaking out.
A car backfired in the distance. Then again.
Hugh cursed and nailed the gas.
Not a car backfiring, she realized. Someone was shooting at them. The windshield shattered. An inch farther to the left and the bullet would have hit Hugh.
She locked her arms tighter around Joshua. He squealed in protest, but keeping him quiet was pretty much a moot point now. Or would that be mute? God, there she went getting hysterical again.
“Brace yourself,” Hugh said. “We’re going through the gate.”
“Can you give me a three count?”
“One. Two—”
Bang!
The Jeep jolted on impact, slamming her side back against the seat. She held her breath for a suspended second as he revved the gas and she wondered if they would make it—
Through.
Hugh ducked as parts of the shattered gate flew over the Jeep. They’d made it through. They had wheels and a tank full of gas.
“You two okay back there?”
“We’re fine. We’re completely okay? You?”
“I’m good,” he answered, his words clipped. “Stay down though.”
Her elation faded as she heard the sound of sirens, alarms from the compound. How soon before some of those other cars came after them, driven by people who knew the lay of the land better?
The Jeep jostled over the rough terrain, branches smacking the roll bars as they sped through the jungle. She had no idea how long he drove like a bat out of hell, but she kept herself draped over Joshua as he whimpered, protecting him, talking softly to him, even singing in her awful off-key voice. She thought she heard another car in the distance, the sound seeming louder. Maybe?
“Hugh—” she shouted.
“Roger,” he barked back. “I got ’em in the rearview mirror.”
“What’re we going to do?” Fear crushed her chest as she stared into Joshua’s eyes. What impossible decisions a parent had to make to protect a child. This had to be a special hell for Hugh, after losing his wife and daughter. How could his big generous heart cope if anything were to happen to them now, despite his superhuman efforts?
“They’re in vans. I’m heading toward the beach. It’s more open, more exposed, but they won’t have the same traction we will.”
She stared at the back of his vulnerable head and thought about the gunfire earlier. “If you’re sure.”
“I’m sure it’s our best odds.”
“Okay, then.” Like they really had a choice at this point.
He half stood in his seat, twisting to fire his gun at whoever followed them. Damn it, she could do that part.
“Give me the gun,” she yelled. “I’ll shoot. You drive.” She would be in a better position for coverage and he would be a much safer driver.
He passed the gun over the seat. Thank God he saw the wisdom of her judgment and hadn’t wasted time arguing. She eased up in the seat, aimed the gun at the van’s radiator, and squeezed off a shot. The gun’s recoil knocked her against Hugh’s seat.
“You okay?” he shouted.