Page 21 (2/2)

“Uh-huh?” Jason swayed closer, sparks igniting on his daone dry

“One tiht in front—”

A ragged screaie

Adrenaline ricocheting, Jason raced around the bend, expecting to see a grizzly, his worst night his spine as he blinked at the scene in front of him

No bear A man

About twenty feet away down the trail, Maggie stood frozen, a big, scragglyher shoulder He held a pistol in his other hand, pressed against Maggie’s temple

“Get away fronized his own hoarse voice

The man s al here came across my path”

Jason’s ears buzzed with rushing blood “Then let go of her, and we’ll get out of your way”

The man smiled crookedly as if he didn’t have a care in the world As if he wasn’t holding a gun to Jason’s little girl Why did he have a gun? “Noant toup behind won’t do anything stupid”

“Let her go,” Ben co in Jason’s peripheral vision to the left

Jason pleaded “We won’t tell anyone, I swear Just let her go” Cold sweat sprang out on his skin, prickling the back of his neck

“Daddy” Maggie whi into her pale skin

Jason held out his hands “Please Please don’t hurt her”

“Brown, let her go” Ben’s voice was steely “You know she’ll only slow you down”

This Brown person Ben somehow seemed to know cocked his weapon The click of theis, I heard her co—what a sweet little voice she has And I realized she’s just the guardian angel I need”

“What?” Jason sputtered, his lungs struggling Wake up! This can’t be real!

“Well, those so-called law me into custody I heard it with my own ears—shoot to kill Had to hole up in a cave while those fuckers looked for ht by me, but it cost irl with ood Lord’s put her in ift horse in the mouth”