Ricochet Page 19

  She looked back for long enough to see a man standing at the top of the hill, his gun pointed at her.

  * * *

  Nick grasped the gunman’s shoulders and slammed him into the ground. The man’s hand hit a rock, and the gun scattered to the ground.

  At least the fight was fair now. Man against man.

  He only prayed that the man’s accomplice hadn’t reached Molly yet.

  His attacker drew back and charged at him. They rolled down the hill toward the creek. Stumps and roots and briars assaulted them. Nick didn’t care. He knew there were more important things. He knew he was fighting for his life.

  Finally, they rammed into an oak tree. Both stopped with a jolt. Nick’s attacker moaned—but only for a moment. Just as quickly, he pulled his hand back and jammed his fist toward Nick.

  Nick rolled out of the way and the man’s fist slammed into the ground. He grunted, a maniacal persistence about him.

  Molly. How was Molly?

  If Nick was going to find out, he had to defeat this man first.

  Nick pulled in a last burst of adrenaline. He charged toward the masked man until his attacker sprawled backward on the ground. His head hit a rock and man laid motionless.

  Unconscious.

  Nick crept forward, watching for any sign of movement. Nothing except the steady rise and fall of the man’s chest. Carefully, he leaned down and jerked the man’s mask off. He blinked at the face that had once been concealed.

  “Ricky Balderston?” he muttered. Ernie’s son. Was Ernie in on this also?

  Nick had to find Molly. Now.

  * * *

  Molly stared at the gun. Would the man actually use it?

  As if he’d read her mind, wood splintered on the tree beside her. The man was shooting at her, and she stayed in one place like a sitting duck. Quickly, she turned on her heel and took off. Deeper and deeper into the woods she ran. Bullets flew around her, and she thanked God the man wasn’t a good shot.

  Finally she stopped running and took a moment to catch her breath. She paused, listening for the telltale signs of someone around her. Nothing. Could she have lost him?

  Her body ached. Her wet clothes clung to her. And the nighttime chill began to seep into her bones.

  Her gaze flickered around her. Trees, trees and more trees.

  Where was she?

  She knew—she was in the woods. Lost.

  Her shakes intensified.

  The darkness surrounded her. The trees reached for her. And suddenly she felt like a little girl again. She sat down against a tree and pulled her knees to her chest.

  How would she get away from the killer? And even if she did manage that, how would she get back to the camp? Which way had she come from, even? Now that she’d stopped, everything looked the same, every direction seemed familiar yet unfamiliar. How long would it take someone to find her on these four hundred acres? Would a wild animal get to her first? The gunman?

  Her shivers couldn’t be controlled. Her teeth began chattering. Imaginary spiders crept up her skin. The trees began to creak. A shadow passed overhead. An intruder? No, she was the intruder here.

  She leaned back into the tree as despair bit deep.

  The woods had taken her captive again.

  * * *

  Nick wanted to call for Molly, but he couldn’t make himself known with a gunman on the loose. Instead, he followed the creek, hoping to see a sign of the woman he hoped to spend the rest of his life with.

  Would he have a chance to tell her that?

  He prayed he would.

  All of these years he felt like he’d been following a path he hadn’t wanted to take. God had used him there and he’d grown as a person. But now he was ready to follow God on this new path, on this second chance. A second chance that included Molly, he hoped. Faced with death right now, his faith became clear to him. His faith was his own—not simply something his parents had pushed on him. He knew without a doubt that God existed and that He had a plan for their lives, despite all of the ups and downs.

  Please don’t let things end poorly, Lord. I want to follow where You lead. I’ll go wherever You want me to go. But protect Molly.

  Something red in the distance caught his attention. Quietly, he approached the object, careful not to be heard. He reached a jagged tree limb and pulled a piece of cloth from a protruding branch. Molly’s sweatshirt. Part of it had been torn off. He glanced below at the swamp water. Had she slipped down this embankment into the water? Was she on the other side now? It was his best lead so far—his only lead, for that matter.

  He wandered alongside the creek for a moment until he found a tree that had fallen over the water. Carefully, he maneuvered across. When Nick had thought she’d stayed on the other side of the creek, his search perimeter was narrower. But now a whole new search area waited.

  How would he find her?

  Would the gunman find her first?

  He followed the creek farther until he reached a part where the banks looked disturbed and muddy. Could this be where Molly got out? It was the best lead he had yet. Following his gut, he climbed the bank, his feet sinking into the mud, and headed deeper into the woods.

  Molly hated the woods, and this area was so thick with trees. If someone didn’t know what they were doing, they could easily get turned around. And, though not common, there had been black bears and wildcats spotted on occasion in this area.

  He paused for a moment beside an elm tree and listened. A twig snapped in the distance.

  Ernie?

  Slowly, he peered around the tree. Sure enough, he spotted Ernie mere feet away creeping through the woods, gun in his hand.

  The man’s gaze and each movement looked purposeful. He was on the prowl, searching for Molly. Anger surged through Nick at the thought. He had to take Ernie down.

  He stalked him. Then, on the count of three, he lunged at the man.

  Just as he tackled him to the ground, the gun blasted.

  * * *

  Molly’s teeth chattered still and a spiderweb had somehow draped itself over her face. As much as she wiped her eyes, strands of the web still clung to her.

  She had to get a grip. She could get out of this.

  She prayed for clear thinking. Panicking would do her no good.

  She knew from watching the sunrise at the flagpole every morning that the area on this side of the creek was to the west of the camp. When the sun began rising in the morning, she would follow the light, and hopefully it would lead her to the creek and then to the camp. Right now, she decided to stay put. Wandering around in the woods might only serve to get her deeper into the forest. She had to stay calm.

  Was Nick okay? The only thing that seemed to settle her nerves was when she thought about something other than her own predicament. What had happened back there where she’d left him? Was the sheriff here yet? Had he found Nick?

  What if Nick hadn’t made it?

  What if no one came to look for her? Just like when she was a child. Her mom hadn’t even noticed she was gone until the evening. By that time, Molly had been deep into the woods. It was a miracle she’d even been found.

  She closed her eyes. But she’d been found. That was what she had to hold on to. She’d been found.

  The sound of gunfire pulled her out of one fear and into another.

  The gun blast had been close. Close enough that her ears rang for a moment at the loudness.

 
She couldn’t stay here. She had to move. What if that was Nick who’d just been shot? What if he needed her help?

  She stood, shivers still racking her entire body. All around her stood darkness as black as she’d ever seen.

  Staying low, she crept along beside the underbrush, trying to keep herself concealed. Her fear and the cold temperatures kept her shivering. She pressed forward, ignoring the briars that grabbed at her ankles.

  Shouting echoed in the distance. Who was that? Nick? And who else?

  Another gunshot cracked the air. She lifted up a prayer. Please let Nick be okay.

  Clarity hit her at once.

  Nick was nothing like the men her mom had dated. She had to forgive him for breaking her heart, and she had to forgive herself for the bad relationship she’d had with Derek. But Nick wasn’t Derek. Nick was a good man, one who’d be willing to give up his life for her. He’d proven that time and time again.

  Now was the time to get past her fears—both about relationships and the maniac chasing her through the woods. She had to be willing to take a chance again or she’d risk dying a worst kind of death—the death of hope.

  She stopped behind a thick tree. Slowly, she peered around. Mere feet away she saw Nick wrestling with...Ernie? He was the one behind this? No wonder he’d tried to paint Cody in a negative light when she’d first met him. He’d been trying to take any suspicion off himself.

  Her throat felt dry as she contemplated her next move. She had to help before the gun went off again and a bullet pierced Nick.

  She glanced around and spotted a rock. She crawled over the moist, prickly terrain until she reached it. Carefully, she lifted it from the dirt and crept back toward Nick. Crouching low, she waited for the right moment.

  Nick jerked Ernie onto his back. Ernie’s hand flopped to the side. The gun still remained in his hand. Just as Nick pinned one of Ernie’s hands, the man raised his gun toward Nick.

  Molly let out a yell as she burst from behind the tree. Before Ernie could realize what was happening, she slammed the rock onto his hand. The gun scattered across the forest floor as Ernie scrunched his face in pain. Quickly, Molly grabbed it and pointed it at the groundskeeper.

  “Don’t make any moves,” she yelled, wiping some dirt from her cheek and gasping in a deep breath.

  Nick took the gun from her wobbly hold, his eyes assessing her. “You’re okay?”

  Molly nodded, wanting to fall into his arms and tell him just how much she cared about him. Before she could, Ernie grunted, grasping his hand.

  “Why couldn’t you two just have let it go? No one else had to get hurt.”

  Nick kept the gun aimed at him. “Why? Why would you do this?”

  Ernie grunted again. “I got debts to pay. Mowing the grass at the camp wasn’t cutting it. I needed a lot of money and fast. When I saw those trees, I knew I’d hit the jackpot.”

  Molly shook her head in disbelief. “Debts? What kind of debt do you have?”

  He shrugged. “Gambling. The money problems were about to ruin my marriage.”

  A twig snapped in the distance and a flashlight bobbed toward them.

  “Identify yourself,” Nick ordered.

  “It’s me, Sheriff Spruill.” The sheriff’s face came into view, and he looked down at the man on the ground, shaking his head. “Ernie Balderston, you’re under arrest.” The sheriff looked up at them. “I’ve got it from here. Paramedics are waiting at the camp to look you two over. Can you find your way back there?”

  Nick nodded. “I can get us there.” He turned to Molly. “You’re okay to walk?”

  “Yeah, I can do that.”

  As the sheriff began leading Ernie away in handcuffs, Nick turned toward her. “I was so worried.” He pressed his lips into her forehead.

  “All I could think about was that you’d been shot, Nick. I couldn’t stand the thought of it.”

  “God brought us both through this.”

  Molly looked up at him, her heart warm and sure. “For a reason.”

  A smile stretched across Nick’s face. “For a reason.” He slipped an arm around her shoulders. “Come on. We’ve got to get you back before you get hypothermia.”

  * * *

  Molly refused to stay in the hospital bed. Instead, she lowered herself onto one of the padded chairs at the bedside. There was really no need for her to be admitted. All she’d needed was a warm shower, some blankets and some coffee and she would have been fine. But Nick had insisted that she be checked out.

  As she pulled a blanket around her, she looked up and saw three people standing in the doorway. Her eyes widened. “Please. Come in.”

  Nick and his parents stepped inside the cramped hospital room.

  Nick’s dad smiled down at her. “Just as they’re letting me go home, you got admitted. How’s that for luck?”

  “I won’t be here long. In fact, they’re probably going to let me go home sometime today.”

  Nick kissed her cheek. “Is that what you said or what the doctor said? I’m pretty sure that nurses make the worst patients.”

  “I’m pretty sure you’re right.” Her smile slipped when she looked up at Mrs. White. She cleared her throat. “Thanks for coming.”

  “There’s something I need to say to you, Molly.” Mrs. White wrung her hands together a moment, whatever she had to say obviously weighing heavy on her mind. “I was wrong. I don’t say that very often, but apparently I ought to.” She let out a small laugh. “No one likes to be around self-righteous people. I know that.

  “I’m sorry, Molly, for the way I’ve treated you. You didn’t deserve it. I guess the truth is that I don’t feel like anyone is good enough for my boy. If you ever have kids, you’ll understand. But that’s neither here nor there. I came to apologize. I saw that you were willing to risk your life for my son, and I knew that if Nicholas had someone who loved him that much that he was a lucky man.”

  “You mean that?”

  She nodded. “I do. I’m sorry, and I’m trying to change. It wasn’t until I thought I might have lost Nicholas that I realized how pious I’ve been acting. Do you forgive me?”

  “Of course.”

  Mrs. White squeezed her hand. “Thank you, Molly.” She straightened. “Now I’ll give you two some time together. Good to see you, dear.”

  “You, too.”

  When they disappeared out of the room, Molly turned to Nick. “I never thought I’d have that conversation.”

  “Me neither. I’m glad you did, though. I’m really glad.”

  “Did they find Cody?”

  “They did. Ernie had rented a garage out in the country. It’s where he was running all of his illegal tree-theft operations. Cody was tied up there. But he’s okay. Nothing a few hamburgers and some time with friends won’t fix. Ernie had been blackmailing Cody, saying he would tell everyone he was dating a camper, which is strictly against the rules.”

  “Was he?”

  Nick shook his head. “Cody says no, that they were just friends. Ernie was trying to set Cody up by planting the medicine in his room. But Cody figured out what was going on and that’s when Ernie decided to use him as a pawn in his twisted little game.”

  “Ernie was really behind all of this. That just seems crazy.”

  “He was. He claims he didn’t mean to kill Gene. Gene walked into the woods one day and found them while they were cutting the trees. They got into a fistfight and Gene fell onto one of the trees. T
he head injury killed him. Ernie stashed his body in the cabin hoping it would look like a wild animal got him.”

  “And how about the man I hit on my way here? Why did Ernie kill him?”

  “The man began to suspect that something wasn’t legal. He threatened to tell the authorities. Ernie knew he couldn’t let that happen. Apparently, he’d accumulated hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt. He killed the man, and then tried to find a new buyer for the wood. In the meantime, he found your employment application and placed it in the man’s coat, trying to take any suspicion off himself by sending the sheriff on a wild-goose chase.”

  “That’s so awful,” Molly said, then paused. “I talked to one of my friends in Maryland this morning. We worked at the hospital together.”

  “Are you going back to your old job?”

  She chuckled at his worried expression. “No, but she did tell me that Dr. Derek Houston is under investigation. Apparently, he tried to frame another nurse on staff there. She recorded everything from the start, so she has evidence that he was trying to manipulate the situation.”

  “Good. He deserves some justice.” He leaned toward her. “There is some good news to this whole crazy situation.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “I realized that I could sell the trees on the land and make enough money to not only keep the camp afloat but also to do some upgrades.”

  “That’s great news, Nick. So you’re going to be sticking around?”

  He nodded. “I am. You know how we both wanted to be missionaries when we were teens? I think this camp is my mission field. It will give me the chance to work in my area of gifting. I can use my hands and be outdoors, but still work with people.”

  Molly grinned. “I think you’ll be great.”

  “God’s really been teaching me a lot lately, Molly. I can’t live with all of these walls up around my heart. Really, it’s an isolated existence and life isn’t meant to be lived alone. I’ve realized that I’m going to make mistakes and I’m going to disappoint people, but that’s just a part of life. You helped me to realize that, Molly. You’ve always accepted me—warts, and all. Thank you.”