Night Prey by Sharon Dunn Read Free Book Online Page B

Maybe they had lost their pursuer. He couldn’t hear anyone behind them, but better safe than sorry.
    He signaled for them to keep going. She fell in stepbehind him, resting her hand on the middle of his back to keep track of him in the dark. Their pace slowed, which allowed them to be more quiet. The forest thinned. Keith turned on the light. The landscape ahead looked familiar. They weren’t far from the bikes.
    Jenna came alongside. Her breathing had evened out.
    They made their way across the rocky landscape. Keith kept his ears tuned to the area around them. Their feet caused an occasional stone to roll and crash against another.
    Jenna planted her feet. “Where are the bikes?”
    Keith clicked on the light and swept across the area where the bikes should be. The bikes were there, but they had been knocked over. He ran to the first bike and lifted it off the ground. After four tries, it started.
    He helped Jenna get her bike up, but repeated attempts at starting didn’t even produce a choking sound. Keith lifted his head. The rider who left must have come down here to sabotage their bikes. It was a trap, meant to delay them. And it was working.
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    Jenna pointed from the control cluster across the handlebars. “It looks…looks like they pulled out these wires.” She tried to ignore the rising panic.
    â€œThey must have run out of time before they could do that to mine.”
    â€œSo they…they just pushed yours over.”
    The trauma of what they had been through was getting to her. Keith leaned close. “You doing okay?”
    Jenna tilted her head to look into his eyes. His attentiveness helped her shake off the impending panic.“I’ll make it. None of this seems to have ruffled your feathers.”
    â€œI’ve had more practice.”
    â€œYou mean with the military?”
    He angled away from her, picking up his helmet off the ground. “There is no electricity getting to the starter on that bike. You’ll have to ride with me.”
    Just like that, he changed the subject. There were walls between them now that hadn’t been there when they were kids. He seemed guarded about sharing any part of himself. What had he been doing for the last twelve years?
    Keith got onto the functioning dirt bike and scooted forward, making room for her. Jenna put on her helmet and swung her leg over the bike. She sat up straight and placed her palms delicately on Keith’s sides. Being this close to him made her feel even more light-headed and breathless than being chased down the canyon.
    Keith flipped up his visor and turned his head toward her. “You can move closer. I don’t bite.”
    â€œI’m okay.” The smoldering tone of his voice made her heart race. At the same time, a fear seeped into her consciousness. She really didn’t know anything about him, who he had become. The memory of the night of his arrest charged through her with full force. He had come to her for help. She had been afraid then, too, afraid that his turn toward delinquency would destroy her new and fragile faith. Her friends at church had told her to stay away from him. He could talk her into almost anything. She did not want to be pulled into that world. Not when she already knew how badly it could hurt.
    The bike jerked across the uneven path heading upan incline. Jenna slipped back on the seat, nearly falling off. She wrapped her arms around Keith’s waist to stay on. His gloved hand patted hers. They lurched down the mountain until the path grew smoother.
    He pulled onto a dirt road and increased his speed. Jenna glanced behind her. She couldn’t see any headlights, but that didn’t mean they weren’t being followed. She held on even tighter to Keith, pressing against his back. Keith angled the bike into a curve. Despite the fact that he was a risk taker, she was sure he knew his limits. In all their cross-country treks as kids, he had never