Part 8 (2/2)

”Can you keep up? I'll move faster if I know you can hang with me as I go along.”

”Don't worry about me. If I can't keep up, I'll call out and ask you to slow down.”

Joey eyed her. ”Okay, then. Let's go.” He turned and started moving quickly. With his body stooped lower, Annja watched him move at a crouching run, checking the ground every few minutes for more signs and then continuing on.

Annja kept pace pretty well for a while, but then her own stamina took a bit of a hit. She felt herself starting to grow weary from the fast pace. Joey kept moving. Annja forced herself to push on, concerned that Jenny could well be dying somewhere close by.

Joey paused. ”You okay?”

Annja bent over and breathed deeply. ”Fine. Why?”

”I can hear you panting. You sound like a train huffing along back there. Honestly, I thought you were in better shape.”

Annja frowned. ”I'm in fine shape, thanks. I'm a bit tired, though.”

”You want to rest?”

”No. Jenny needs us.”

Joey pointed to a nearby tree. ”Stay there and get some rest. I'll go on alone and find her. When I do, I'll come back and lead you there. Right now someone needs to make sure she's okay.”

”I'm slowing you down, aren't I?”

”Yep.”

Annja nodded. ”All right, then. Go.”

Joey turned and vanished into the night. Annja watched him disappear and then leaned her head back. The trunk of the tree behind her felt solid and somehow comfortable. Within a few moments, her eyelids dipped shut and she fell asleep.

And then she felt herself being shaken.

”Annja!”

She popped her eyes open. Joey's face was close to hers. ”Come on and wake up, sleepyhead.”

Annja got to her feet. ”You found her?”

Joey nodded. ”About a mile farther on. She was in a bad way but I got a fire going and huddled her up close to it. Hypothermia, I'd guess. The rain and wind probably took her down, but she should be okay. I made some pine-needle tea for her to drink, to warm her from the inside out. She was coherent when I left.”

”What did she say?”

”I guess she went back to camp and found it deserted.”

Annja frowned. Of course there was no way she could have let those kids stay in danger with gunmen threatening them. She had to break camp and send the students away. Jenny would understand, Annja felt certain of it.

”So what happened? She just went hiking around, looking for us?”

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