your place? If I could get to my cell phone-"

She interrupted him. "We went too far downstream. We'd have to backtrack and that's pushing our luck."

"Okay. We'll head straight across and hope there's a dock close."

He couldn't see more than ten feet ahead of him but knew it was too risky to turn the flashlight on now. Michelle climbed over

the bench so she could get to the motor. She put her hand on the cord, ready to yank it if they were spotted. She was worrying about everything now. When was the last time she filled the motor with gas? She couldn't remember. What if they reached the middle and then the spotlight found them?

They were gliding across the water now. Theo's powerful arms worked the oars like an expert.

She could see the light scanning the water. "They're looking for us in the channels," she whispered.

Theo kept rowing but glanced behind him. The beam of light was crisscrossing the water, but the boat wasn't moving. It was

about two hundred yards away.

"They haven't seen us yet."

"Should I turn the motor-"

"No." His voice was urgent. "Hang in there. We might make it."

A minute later, the beam turned back in their direction. Michelle didn't wait for Theo to tell her to start the motor. She pulled hard. It didn't catch the first time. Theo swung the oars in and shoved Michelle down as a bullet whizzed past his head. She yanked on the rope and cried out when the engine sputtered to life.

Theo pulled his gun from the holster, shouted for Michelle to keep her head down, just as another bullet struck the water next to them. He propped his elbow on the bench and fired his weapon.

The bastards were coming fast now. Theo was trying to shoot out the spotlight. The first shot missed, but he heard someone

shout, and he hoped that meant he'd hit one of them. He squeezed the trigger again. He was on the mark this time. The bullet shattered the light, giving them maybe five, ten seconds max before one of the hitters turned his flashlight on them.

Michelle couldn't judge how close they were to the bank. She tried to reach the throttle to slow the boat down, but it was too late. The boat suddenly lurched up, out of the water, and slammed into thorny bushes. It didn't stop but bounced twice before striking a tree. The impact threw Theo into the front of the boat. He landed on his left side, slamming his knee into the aluminum. His upper arm, still throbbing from the cut from the window glass, hit the metal rim, tearing his skin and sending a jolt of pain down to his elbow.

Michelle's forehead struck the bench and she cried out as she threw her arms up to protect herself.

Theo leapt out of the boat, holstered his gun, and pulled Michelle. Dazed from the impact, she shook her head, trying to clear it

as she felt around the boat for the flashlight.

"Come on," he shouted over the roar of the motor coming closer and closer.

He was lifting her when she found the flashlight. Jerking her arm free, she snatched it. Her heart was slamming against her sternum, and her head felt as though it had been split apart, the pain almost blinding as she stumbled forward.

Theo wrapped his arm around her, hauled her into his side, and, half carrying her, ran into the brush. He didn't have the faintest idea where they were headed. Completely disoriented, he ran headlong into spiny branches. He pushed through them with his

right arm.

He could still hear the motor roaring in the distance and was desperate to get Michelle as far away as possible before the men docked their boat.

They fought their way through the brush and the soggy undergrowth, stopping twice to listen for signs that they were being followed. Finally, breaking out of the thicket, they stumbled forward into the open.

Michelle stopped to get her second wind. She wasn't sure where they were.

"Should I risk it?" she asked as she lifted the flashlight and put her thumb on the switch. "I don't think they'll see the light if I only have it on for a second."

"Do it."

She flipped the switch, then breathed a sigh of relief. "I think I know where we are." Turning the light off, she whispered, "It's about a mile to The

Swan."

They were standing on the edge of a dirt road which, to Theo, looked like a dozen others he'd driven down.

"You're sure?"

"Yes."

He clasped her hand and started running. If they could get around the bend up ahead before their pursuers reached the road, they'd be in the clear. He kept glancing over his shoulder looking for lights. The only sound was their heavy breathing and the pounding of their feet against the road.

Michelle turned on the light again, just in the nick of time, because they would have run off the road where it curved. She tripped as she turned, but Theo caught her and kept her upright without slowing down. He looked behind him again, saw the small beam of light strike the road, and increased his speed.

He was positive they hadn't seen them.

"I'm okay now," she panted. "I can run."

He let go of her, then took hold of her hand, and continued on. He could see a light twinkling like a star in the distance and

headed in that direction.

The stitch in Michelle's side was burning now, and her head felt as if it were going to explode. They reached a crossroad, and Michelle doubled over, her hands clasping her knees.

"The Swan's down the road to the left," she panted. "We can call the police from there."

The road was gravel and mud. He remembered driving down this lane. As he ran, he constantly scanned the brush on either

side, figuring which way they would dive if he heard someone coming.

"You doing okay?" he whispered.

"I'm good," she answered.

She felt like crying out with relief when she saw the dark building ahead of them. The feeling of euphoria was short-lived, for a scant second later, she heard the sound of a car screeching around the curve behind them.

She didn't have time to react. One second she was glancing over her shoulder to look for headlights, and the next she was flying off the road into a gully with Theo. Michelle landed hard on her backside. Theo crouched beside her and pulled his gun out, his eyes scanning the road. They were concealed by bushes and scrub.

Michelle gingerly probed the bump on her forehead, grimacing. Her mind raced. Then she remembered what she wanted to tell Theo.

She whispered his name. He put his hand over her mouth. "Shhh," he whispered close to her ear.

The car pulled up next to them. She fought the urge to recoil as she heard a thrashing noise in the bushes next to them. She realized she was holding her breath when her chest began to ache. She slowly, quietly exhaled. Her hand gripped Theo's knee. More thrashing in the underbrush, then muttering as the man walked back to the car. Gravel crunched under his shoes.

The damp air was getting to her. Her eyes suddenly began to tear and she needed to sneeze. Please, God, not now. I can't make any noise…. not yet. She clamped her fingers over her nose and breathed through her mouth. Tears were streaming

down her cheeks, and she pulled her T-shirt up over her mouth.

Theo heard the car door slam, and then the car moved on. He wasn't going to take any chances, though. He strained to hear

every little sound. How many were there? He knew for certain four men had tried to ambush them. He'd seen two in the front

of Michelle's house and then two who'd driven the boat to the dock. Their goal had obviously been to trap them inside the house, and he swore that as soon as they were safe and out of this jungle warfare, he would get every one of them.

He finally shifted his position to take the weight off his knees. Putting his arm around Michelle, he bent down and whispered, "They're looking for us at The Swan, and we're going to sit tight until they're gone. You still doing okay?"