Part 58 (1/2)

Joey led them down the trail. Annja found herself remembering the lay of it now that she'd traveled it twice. But earlier yesterday, she'd been burnt and dirty and exhausted from nearly having been crushed by David's truck.

That must be it, she thought. The sheer immediacy of me almost dying taxed my system to the brink. I need some time to recover.

How long is it going to take to get back to where I feel one hundred percent? And can I afford to wait that long? If David and his goons show up now, I'm toast. And so are Jenny and Joey. I can't let anything happen to them.

She pressed on, trying to stay close to Jenny, who had apparently gotten her second wind. She seemed to be moving faster than Annja was. Annja struggled to keep up with her.

Jenny looked back. ”Can you keep going?”

Annja nodded, but she felt queasy and foggy at the same time. I am not in good shape, she thought to herself.

Her face felt hot and sweaty. Her heart thundered in her chest. If they hadn't swallowed a lot of river water, she might have thought she was dehydrated. But she knew she wasn't. She'd had lots to drink.

But she hadn't had plenty of rest. And that's what she needed more than anything else.

If she could sleep for even a few hours, it might go a long way toward recharging her. Even being knocked unconscious by the tranquilizer dart hadn't given her enough rest.

Could she take a nap at the hotel before they confronted David? It seemed unlikely.

Joey led them up to the footbridge and then veered to the right. A large rhododendron bush blocked their path but he pushed through it. Annja followed Jenny and then saw a smaller animal run in front of them. Th.o.r.n.y bushes poked out into the run, making travel difficult, but twenty yards farther on it suddenly got easier.

Joey stopped and motioned them to squat nearby. ”I planted those to help discourage anyone else from using the trail. Now that we're close to town, make sure you keep your voice down. You'd be surprised how many conversations I've heard lurking back here, hiding from people in town.”

”You were spying on them?” Annja asked.

Joey shook his head. ”Nope. They were being noisy and I was just listening.” He winked once and then kept walking.

Annja felt like her legs were starting to melt. Each step seemed to sink into the ground and get harder to pull back out. Her breathing felt labored and awkward, as if she couldn't get enough oxygen into her system.

The run sloped up and then Annja saw the roof of the hotel over the top of the trees. The hotel.

She almost smiled. If they could just get to Sheila.

”Annja?”

Jenny peered into her face. Why does she look so odd? Annja wondered. But had she voiced the question at all? She couldn't remember.

Annja took another deep breath.

”Annja?”

Another step.

She collapsed into nothingness.

Chapter 30.

Annja swam slowly through the blackness of her mind. It was as if she simply couldn't move her arms and legs fast enough to generate any kind of momentum and she was stuck.