She saw her broken suitcase near a tree. It was smashed and torn as if someone had taken an ax to it. She shivered. That could have been her or Slade if either of them had been thrown from the vehicle.
“No!” Bart screamed.
“Be a man,” Slade snarled at him. “You can’t hang there all day. On the count of three I’m going to slice your belt and pull you out. Your ass will fall but I have your head. One. Two—”
“Don’t,” Bart screamed, sounding panicked.
“Three!”
Slade sliced the belt and dragged a howling Bart out of the vehicle. Trisha limped the remaining few feet to the man crying on the ground as Slade released him and stepped back. The look Slade flashed toward Trisha showed pure disgust. Slade shook his head, clenched his teeth, and stormed away.
“You deal with him. I’m going to salvage what we can. It’s going to be dark soon.”
Trisha lowered to her knees to examine the softly crying Bart. Sympathy welled inside her for the kid who was in his early twenties but was acting much younger. She understood how frightened he had to be. Her hands roamed over his body, the only thing she could do without her medical bag. All she had to assess him with was her touch and vision to try to triage him.
She examined his hips and her hands cupped one of his thighs and inched down his leg to his ankle. He didn’t appear to have broken feet or ankles. She wasn’t about to remove his footwear to find out for sure, knowing that if he had broken any bones there the shoe would keep it immobile and control the swelling for the time being. She rose and gripped his other thigh, circling her hand around it high up, and inched her way down.
“Do you want a room?” Slade sighed. “You touch me that way and I hope you have a wedding ring to give me, Doc.”
“I’m checking for more broken bones.” She didn’t even glance over her shoulder at Slade. “So far so good.”
Trisha leaned back and frowned at Bart. “Where does it hurt?”
“My hand.”
She’d explored his stomach and his head until she’d run her hands all over him. “How does your neck and back feel?”
“They are fine. My hand hurts.” Bart cried softly with his arm cradled to his chest.
Trisha turned her head to gaze up at Slade. “He could have internal injuries but I won’t know without getting him to a hospital. The only ones I know of for sure are his wrist and hand. Can you get my suitcase and pick up some of my clothes? I need them.”
A frown marred Slade’s lips. “You want to change clothes? Give me a break, Doc. You can’t be that conceited.”
“You stupid son of a bitch,” Trisha ground out, her anger flaring instantly. “I need to tear up some cloth to bandage his hand. The handle of my suitcase is the kind that extends. I can remove it and use it to splint his entire arm to the end of his fingers.”
Slade blushed a little. “I’m on it. Sorry.” He walked away.
Trisha sighed, allowing her anger to fade. They were all under stress. Slade returned within minutes. He used a knife to slice her nice shirts into strips. Trisha splinted Bart’s broken hand. He fainted when she did it, which was a good thing because Slade seemed really pissed that Bart kept crying. Bart wasn’t doing that for the moment while he was passed out cold.
Trisha took advantage of it and bandaged his bleeding hand and secured it to the brace. She carefully assessed it, deciding that if they didn’t get him to a trauma room soon he’d lose the entire hand. She stated that assessment softly to Slade.
“I’ll get right on that.” Slade frowned at her. “Right after I sprout wings to fly us out of here. What do you want me to say? We’re screwed.”
“You could walk up to the road to flag someone down instead of standing there making smartass remarks.”
“What about the two trucks up there that tried to drive us off the road? Oh yeah. They did that and they could still come back to make sure we’re dead. They did go to all that trouble to try to kill us in the first place. They also have guns.”
“You didn’t see them coming down here, right?”
Slade’s expression hardened with anger. “They might be picking up the jerks from the red truck I shot holes in. There’s possibly even more of them coming after us. Maybe they want to make it a party. They might be heading down this way right now. I’ll go check while you stay put.” He spun on his heel and disappeared around the SUV.
Trisha sank down on her butt. Her head hurt and her knee throbbed. She avoided moving her sore shoulder. Every time she stirred her right arm she wanted to wince. She reached up with her left hand to rub her injured shoulder. It wasn’t dislocated and she didn’t feel anything broken. She hoped it was just a strained muscle or just a deep bruise. Bruising in soft tissue could be very painful.
Bart came around. Trisha smiled at him. “How are you feeling?”
“I hurt. I don’t want this job anymore.”
Trisha nodded. “I don’t blame you. Why don’t you try to sit up?”
“I don’t want to. When is the ambulance going to arrive? Did Slade go for help?”
“He went to go make sure those people who ran us off the road aren’t trying to come down here to find us. He’ll be back and we’ll get out of here soon. Don’t worry, Bart. I’m a doctor, remember? You’re doing fine.”
* * * * *
Slade ignored his injuries. Anger helped as he climbed the hillside, every one of his senses on high alert. Gasoline messed with his nose, making it difficult to distinguish smells. Some of it had spilled from the destroyed SUV to leak through the debris he navigated and his gaze darted above for any sign of unnatural movement.
Trisha could have been killed. Rage gripped him at the thought. She’d definitely been hurt. The smell of her blood still lingered in his memory despite the horrible gas smell. He half hoped one or two of the assholes who’d attacked them tracked them. He’d love to kill the bastards for harming her.
A huge mass of rock stopped his progress as he peered up a twenty-foot wall. The SUV had dropped from above. The sight made him realize how lucky they’d been to survive. The front of the vehicle had taken most of the damage but if they’d hit it on the side… He shivered. Trisha would have died.
The memory of trying to grab her, to shield her body with his through the worst of the crash would haunt him. She’d been torn from his hold at the end when his head had smashed into metal. It had dazed him enough to make his body go limp. It terrified him to realize how close she’d come to being ejected when he saw she’d ended up in the very back of the SUV.
The human male at the wheel should have been stronger, tougher, and driven them to safety. Instead fear and panic had gripped Bart until he’d lost control of the situation and crashed the vehicle. He clenched his teeth.
He should have insisted upon driving but Justice had wanted a human at the wheel to draw less attention. The tinted windows shielded the sight of Slade from passing vehicles on the road. He swore that was the last time he followed that certain order again. He’d be the one to drive if Trisha traveled in another SUV.
Gratitude gripped him over demanding he ride with Trisha. The idea of her having been attacked without him there left him cold inside. He continued to scan the area above, watching for any signs of their attackers. Humans would follow the path of destruction to locate them. Perhaps they assumed they’d died.
He relaxed. His people would realize they had met trouble when they didn’t arrive soon. It would be dark before help arrived but he could keep Trisha alive regardless of how long it took his people to find them.
A sound reached him and a small rain of dirt trickled to his far left. He instantly honed his senses.
“Fuck,” a male voice cursed. “I need gloves.”
“Be happy we had some rope. Think they died?”
“I’m not leaving it to chance,” yet another male voice stated. “We need to find the bodies to prove we killed those animal freaks. We’ll take pictures with our cell phones.”
“I hope these hold. Are you sure our combined weight won’t snap the ropes?” The man who spoke had a slight accent. “Did they have to go off the road here? It’s pretty rough terrain.”
Slade spun, moved fast, and hid behind trees to get a better fix on the sound from far above. He spotted six males, all in various states of dress, but the thing they shared in common was the shotguns secured to their backs. His lips parted, his fangs flashed, but he held back the growl that threatened to burst forth at the sight of his enemies.
He could fight them, lie in wait to attack, but what if he failed? He’d lost his weapon during the crash. He couldn’t shoot any of them to even out the numbers. It would leave Trisha defenseless against them if he failed to kill all of the men before they took him out with bullets. Humans would have her at their mercy.
A soft snarl got past him as he spun to quickly return to her. He wouldn’t take any chances with her life. Bart didn’t strike him as a tough enough male to travel with injuries. As he moved quickly but quietly, to avoid alerting the men above him to his presence, he came to a grim decision.
He’d have to leave the human security guard behind if Bart refused to flee. Trisha might protest. She had a soft heart but regardless of what it took, Slade would save her. Even if he had to knock her out and carry her over his shoulder. Determination made him travel faster to reach her.
* * * * *
“We have to move now,” Slade growled suddenly from behind Trisha.
She jumped and twisted her head, wincing. Her shoulder screamed in protest at the sudden motion. “What’s wrong?”
“Six men are on their way down to us. They have ropes and guns with them. I think that’s what took them this long to try to come down. It’s steep where we flew off the road.”
“Maybe it’s help.” Bart sounded hopeful.
“With shotguns strapped to their backs?” Slade snapped. “Give me a break. They will be here soon.” Slade spun. “Get up. I’m grabbing what I found that may be useful for us to survive and we’re going on the move. It will be dark soon and that will help us lose them.”
Trisha struggled to stand and tried to get Bart to take her hand to pull him to his feet with his good arm. He adamantly shook his head.
“No. I’ll stay here. It’s got to be those anti New Species people. I’ll just tell them I’m human and they’ll get me help.”
“Have you lost your mind?” Trisha gasped. “They tried to kill us and you think telling them you’re human is going to matter to those types?”
“They hate New Species and I’m sure that’s why we were attacked. Maybe they even thought I was driving Justice North. They really hate him.”
Slade came back carrying Trisha’s overnight bag. He moved to Trisha and dropped it over her head and under her arm similar to a sling without asking first. He avoided resting the strap on her sore shoulder. It surprised her that he’d obviously noticed her favoring that side. He looked furious as he glared at Bart.
“We’re leaving. I think they will kill you so get your ass up and move if you want to live.” Slade snarled the words. “You’re going to die if you stay here, kid. I don’t have time to hold your hand while you try to find your brain. I won’t lose my life or hers standing here reasoning with you. Get on your feet.”
Bart glared back at Slade. “I’m human and they aren’t going to hurt me. They will call me an ambulance.”
“You’ll die but I don’t have time to argue. You were warned. I tried and that’s all I can do for you.” Slade turned and cupped Trisha’s face in his large hand, forcing her to look up at him. His intense gaze met hers. “We need to move fast and put distance between us and them. You are limping and I’m going to carry you on my back. I’d put you in front of me in my arms but it’s rough terrain and I’ll need my hands free. Don’t argue with me, Doc. They are coming. We’ll die if we stay.”
Trisha had to agree. She had no doubt those men were dangerous. “Okay.”
Slade turned his back to her and crouched down. He twisted his head to peer at her and opened his arms at his sides. “Climb on.”
She hadn’t gotten a piggyback ride since she’d been a little girl. She didn’t hesitate though as she climbed onto Slade’s back. She wrapped her arms loosely around his neck, making sure she wasn’t about to choke him and he gripped her thighs at his hips as he rose. Trisha stared at Bart on the ground.
“Come with us. Please?”
“They aren’t going to hurt me. I’ll call Homeland when I reach a hospital. I’ll tell them what happened and they’ll send help for you.”
“Last chance,” Slade growled as he turned away from the SUV. “Follow us or die.”
He moved quickly through the dense trees, not waiting for Bart to respond. Trisha held on.
Chapter Four
Slade shifted Trisha’s weight slightly. She looped her arms over his shoulders, trying to support her weight and not slide down his back. He had lifted her higher up onto his back, hooked his arms under her bent knees, and locked his hands together at his waist.
“You could put me down. I can walk. My knee isn’t that bad.”
“You’re fine. I want to make another mile before the sun is totally down. We’ll keep moving for as long as there is light for them to track us.”
The sky filled with pink streaks above them as the sun lowered. The wind picked up and blew chilly air at them from behind. Trisha was cold on her back but was toasty warm down the front of her body where it pressed against Slade. Her arms hurt from holding onto him and she tried to ignore the achy muscles between her thighs. She wasn’t used to straddling something for a long period of time.
“You have to be getting tired, Slade. Come on. Put me down. I’m heavy. I know you are strong but this is a bit much. You said that we’ve covered a few miles so far. At least slow your pace. You’re going to wear yourself out.”
“Shut up,” he ordered. “I’m trying to concentrate by telling myself you aren’t there. You screw that up every time you talk.”
“Thanks.”
“That wasn’t an insult but you aren’t as light as a feather. I’m trying to forget you are there to convince my brain my muscles aren’t aching.”
She bit her lip. “Sorry.”
“Shut up,” he sighed.
She refrained from speaking as she darted a glance around the area. Slade really could move, walking faster than she could jog with his long legs. He only slowed down when they climbed uphill or if he had to get them both over a fallen log. They’d had to do that twice.
“BOOM!” Pause. “BOOM! BOOM!”
“What was that?” Trisha’s heart raced.
Slade stopped, tilted his head at a slight angle, and tensed. “They must have found Bart.”
“Those were gunshots, right?”
“Three shots. Yeah.” Slade started walking again. “I guess they didn’t care if he was pure human after all.”
Trisha couldn’t stop the tears that welled in her eyes. Those men wouldn’t have shot something unless they meant to kill it. Bart had been sure they’d care he wasn’t New Species. He’d just been a scared kid who hadn’t deserved to die.
“Don’t cry for him, Doc,” Slade growled. “I know this is tough but survive first and grieve later. You can’t do anything for him now.”
She fought the urge to weep, knowing Slade had a valid point. They would both die too if those men caught up with them. Slade moved faster as Trisha clung to him while darkness slowly fell. Slade slowed eventually but kept moving.
“How can you see?”
He breathed heavily now. “My night vision is better than yours. I can’t see really well but I haven’t walked us into anything yet.”
“You need to rest.”
Slade uttered a soft curse as he stopped. His arms slid out from under her knees. Trisha groaned when he lowered her to the ground until her feet touched. Her knees held her weight and she released him but was a little shaky. It was so dark she couldn??
?t even see him. She jumped when his hands touched her waist.
“Walk this way. I’ll lead you. We’ll lie down for a little while to rest. They could still be tracking if they have flashlights but it would severely slow them down. I also walked on rocks as much as I could to hide our tracks and they didn’t have hunting dogs with them. We’re also downwind and it will be harder for them to scent us. That’s why I kept it at our backs.”
He helped her to the ground where she sat on soft grass. She moved and bumped something hard and rough with her elbow.
“They can’t smell us, Slade. New Species have that ability but humans don’t.”
“I keep forgetting that.” He paused. “That’s a small tree next to you so be careful not to hit it.”
“Thanks. I can barely see my hand in front of my face.” Trisha peered up at the sky. “I don’t even see a moon.”
“Too much forest is in the way. The trees are thick in this area. That’s good for us.”
“Shouldn’t we double back and try to find the highway?”
“No.” Slade moved, touching her. His fingers brushed her breast and he yanked his hand away instantly. “Sorry. Give me the bag.”
Trisha removed it and held it out blindly in the direction she thought he was. The weight of the bag eased from the strap and she let it go, knowing he had it. She heard the zipper before Slade pressed something against her arm.
“It’s all we have so just take a sip. I’m hoping we run into water soon.”
Trisha uncapped the bottled water by feel and took a sip to soothe her dry throat. She took another tiny sip before putting the cap back on.
“Thanks. Here.”
His hand brushed hers as he took it from her grasp. She heard him take a drink.
“Why shouldn’t we find the highway?”
“They could have more people searching for us. They could be driving the roads hoping we’ll pop up. That’s what I’d do if I had prey I wanted to hunt. We’re safer lost. All our vehicles have tracking systems. It might take a while for my people to locate the signal since there wasn’t even a cell reception this far out but they know where to look. Justice knew our route. By now he knows something happened to us. We should have arrived before dark. He would have tried to call me and when I didn’t answer, he would have known we were in trouble. We’ll stay out here. My people will hopefully find us before those humans do.”