Annie's Rainbow - Fern Michaels [107]
Move, move, move, her mind shrieked. Get out of this mud and get out now. Move, girl!
Moving in the ankle-deep mud was the single most torturous thing she’d ever done in her life. Where were her guts and willpower? In the fucking mud, that’s where. The wind whipped at her face and hair, doing its best to send her backward, but her tenacious hold in the thick mud prevented it. Rain lashed at her from the front and back. She was moving, but only by instinct. She couldn’t keep her eyes open and needed both arms for balance so she didn’t fly forward into the gloppy mud. This was not where she should be with all the lightning playing across the sky. She needed cover. Even a fool knew lightning loved open fields. Acres and acres of endless fields. Where were the damn trees she’d seen earlier? Left or right? For one brief second the entire field turned light as day. Trees to the left. Not many but some. Maybe they would lead to other denser wooded areas. She turned, but her feet remained mired in the mud, forcing her forward. Before she knew what was happening, she was facedown in the mud. She started to curse, using every unmentionable word she’d ever heard until her mouth filled with mud.
Annie struggled to get to her feet as rain slammed at her from all sides. It was impossible, and she knew it. Better to crawl on all fours and hope for the best. Somewhere along the way she’d lost her shoes. She moved as fast as she could then when she heard a sound she couldn’t identify. Would a man be able to make better time in the mud? Would his height and weight help him move faster than she was able to do? She crab-walked as fast as she could, her heart beating like a triphammer. Where was he? How close was he? Did he know she’d veered off to the left? Was he dumb enough to head across the field with the lightning ripping across the sky? Did he even care?
Annie started to cry when she realized how little headway she was making. She was so tired, and she ached with the strain of moving through the thick mud. She stopped, falling forward again. Please, God, help me. Please give me the strength to get up and move. Please.
She heard it again, the same strange noise she’d heard before. This time the sound seemed to be coming from the trees, the same trees she was trying to reach. Maybe the person chasing her had seen the same trees and gotten there ahead of her. Well, she still had the gun tucked into her jeans. She knew now she was capable of using it if she had to. Tom and Elmo were right. Faced with a do-or-die situation and the gun was the only way she’d walk away safe, she’d use it. If she got the chance, she could always aim for the person’s kneecaps. She wondered if the barrel was full of mud and, if so, would it fire? She’d probably kill herself in the bargain. She shook her head to shake off some of the thick mud that was filling her ears and nose.
Leapfrog, Annie. Do it. Do it now, a voice inside her head warned. Annie obeyed, then she was out of the mud and on soaking-wet pine needles.
Exhausted, she rolled over and let the rain beat down on her. For one wild, crazy moment she thought someone was licking her face. She must be delirious. She rolled over again and suddenly felt a solid weight on her back. Frightened out of her wits, she tried to make her tongue work. “Who are you? What do you want? I don’t have any money. I’m half-dead. Leave me alone,” she pleaded as she tried to work her hand down to her waistband for the Glock.
“Woof!”
Annie rolled over, struggled to sit up. She couldn’t see the animal, but she could feel his breath on her face. “Oh, God, oh, God! Come here, you dear sweet thing. Let me touch you. God, you’re real. You’re really real. Please, God, don’t let this be a wild dog.”
The dog woofed again, louder this time.
“Same to you, fella. I need some help here.”
More barking.
“Yeah, okay,” Annie said as she sensed the dog moving in the darkness. She was on her feet and moving, too. Obviously that was what the dog wanted. Maybe he would lead her someplace safe. Maybe to the owner of all these fields.