It was hot in the cabin, and Lucy was sweating.

She’d freed her hands, finally, but she didn’t dare bring them in front of her, and kept them behind her back, gripping the rag she’d been tied with.

She was trying her best to look drowsy in case either man looked in her direction but her heart was thudding hard in her chest as she considered her options.

Shorty had left to go and see what was going on with the money.

The other man had blockaded the door and was now dozing on the bed.

He’d offered to share it with her earlier, but she’d politely declined, making him grin.

The question was, was he faking sleepiness? Waiting to see what she would do?

Her only option was the larger window. Taking the items away from the door would take too long, and make too much noise.

The other man had been gone a long while, and she was worried that he could come back at any moment.

This might be her only chance.

Once the other man returned, or the other woke up, she wouldn’t get another opportunity.

As quietly as she could, she stood, and hurried toward the window, and somehow, she rolled right out of it.

She’d replayed the action in her head a hundred times, but she was so stunned when it worked that when she landed on her feet on the other side she didn’t move for a moment.

And then she was off and running, expecting that at any moment she would hear a shout, or run into Shorty.

She wanted to run down the road, but didn’t know which direction to go, or if she’d run directly into her captor, so she ran for the trees.

She’d barely gotten to them when she heard the sound of a horse returning.

* * *

Luke and Samuel herded the nervous man from the rest of the crowd.

“You look like you want to tell us something,” Boone said, trying to keep his voice calm.

The man, tall, thin, and unwashed, swallowed hard. He glanced at their guns. “Two men have been bragging that they was gonna to do this.”

“Who?”

The man’s eyes darted between the two of them. “They’ll kill me if I tell.”

“I’m waiting,” Boone crowded the other man. “My girl is with them. How are they going to kill you if I get to them first?”

The man swallowed again. “Good point. It’s Frank and Archie. I don’t know no last names.”

When he told them the names, Boone realized they were men his foreman had fired in the last year. So, it was him they had the beef with.

“Where are they?”

“I’m not sure, but there was mention of a cabin in the woods to the south. Is there a reward?”

“We’ll talk about that if we find her.”

They quickly told the sheriff what they knew, came up with the most likely place, and the three of them took off on horseback to find the cabin.

He pictured the rough-looking men he’d fired.

If they hurt her… if they dared…

* * *

Lucy stayed hidden in the woods and watched Shorty return. She stayed still, afraid she’d be spotted if she ran, but just as afraid she’d be captured if she didn’t.

She hid behind a large rock, and took off the moment she couldn’t see him anymore.

She still heard the yelling, banging, and then gunshots ring out a moment later.

They were looking for her.

Did she try to hide, or did she just run?!

If they saw her, they might be able to run her down on horseback. Or, more likely, they could simply outrun her.

She raced down the hill, and the moment she knew she was out of sight, sprinted as fast as she could.

Should she climb a tree?

If they spotted her, they could shoot her down.

Up ahead she saw a pond, full of dirty, stagnant water, algae growing along the edges.

There were two logs floating out in the center.

If she could get to them, duck down behind them, perhaps no one would suspect her of hiding there.

It might prove to be the most imprudent, or the most intelligent thing she’d ever done.

She’d know soon enough.

She waded into the cold, murky water as quietly as possible.

It was a good thing she knew how to swim.