Race the Storm

Chapter 8

Half an hour later, just as Jax was packing up the first-aid kit, they heard the sound of tires squealing and a number of voices. Willa gripped his forearm tightly, feeling herself go tense in panic at the sounds of--well, likely--the people who had tranqued her.

'They're here,' she mouthed at Jax, who was looking intently at her--probably wondering why she was squeezing his arm to death.

He nodded, then rested a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay," he said softly. "I'm good at what I do. They'll think we've left, Willa."

She had to believe him. As crazy as this whole situation seemed right now, like something out of a sci-fi movie, she found herself trusting him. Maybe it was a mistake, maybe she'd completely lost her ability to make sound judgments, but it all came down to a simple equation.

Jax hadn't shot at her. These people had. So Jax = better than these people.

Okay, Jax had kidnapped her. But he'd also protected her--taken a bullet while doing it. Which meant not all their guns had been tranq guns.

So yeah, right now, Jax seemed like her best bet.

And that's where she mentally was right now.

"Search the perimeter, make sure he didn't double back!" a voice called out. Oh no. Jax had promised they wouldn't find them, but could he really promise that? He couldn't predict the future, not really. Willa found herself trembling until a second later, a rough, heavy green army blanket was thrown across her shoulders.

"Willa." Jax gripped her shoulders gently and turned her to look at him before mouthing 'breathe,' gesturing to his own exaggerated deep breaths as an example. He squeezed her shoulders and Willa got the message, matching the pace of her breathing to his. She focused her gaze on his chest, in, out, in, out, forcing herself to ignore the sounds of far-off voices in the woods.

Finally, after an eternity, Jax spoke. "They're gone."

"Are you sure?" she whispered back, still wearing the blanket around her shoulders.

"Yeah," he said, "I waited longer than we should have."

"How did we manage to stay out of sight?" she asked.

"I'm trained for this," Jax said simply, in a borderline-tense way, "And I worked for them."

Which she guessed meant he would know how they searched, which made it easier to stay out of their way? Who exactly was this guy? She let the blanket slide down her shoulders. It was early afternoon, but to Willa it seemed like a week had passed since they left the Estate.

Jax grabbed the bag he had brought and made sure it was completely closed up. "We'll have to head back to the campground and take a different car."

Right, they needed transportation. And somewhere to really rest. If she thought about it too much, Willa was going to feel exhausted. Right now, she was barely running on fear and adrenaline. "Where are we going?"

"I have somewhere that should be safe for a couple days that's not too far from here," Jax said. He stood up and reached a hand out to her. "Have you ever heard of Bisbee?"

"No," Willa said, letting him help her up. She folded up the rough blanket and held it to her chest.

"It's a few hours away," he said, "It's a small town, and I don't think they'll look for us there. At least not at first." He shouldered the bag. "I think they'll go to Tucson or Phoenix first. It'd make more sense for us to go somewhere crowded."

"Did you leave that proof you mentioned in Bisbee?" she asked quietly. Her mind still wanted to skip away from the idea that the baby was hers. Theirs. Hers. She had spent the last two months doing her best to not get attached, to remind herself that the baby was biologically the Jamesons'. Thinking of the baby as hers...