CHAPTER 5

The thick woods and brushy undergrowth impeded John's progress. Blaze, though, was a true workhorse, just as Collins had claimed. She moved effortlessly and without hesitation through the tangle. Fortunately, there was a full moon to provide light.

Every breath of air was a blessing because the heat in the dense forest was stifling. He wished he had taken the time to put on a long-sleeved shirt because the insects were numerous. But now, getting to Tosin was his primary objective. He worried about Ms. Charlotte's safety.

After arriving at the Brazos, he urged Blaze to go more quickly as they moved along the riverside to Tosin's land. When he arrived at the area, he dismounted and wrapped the reins over a hanging branch of a tree. He took the rifle out of the scabbard and made his way over to the shack.

As he drew closer, he saw Tosin's truck and stopped. Tosin was here. Was A hoot fro Ms. Lily? An owl hooted, breaking the eerie calm. As something rustled in the nearby bushes, Wyatt glanced around Tosin's unkempt yard. Where did he go?

He heard a moan. It sounded like an animal in pain. John saw a shape emerge in the moonlight. Tosin. He rushed forward, holding the weapon on him, and pushed Tosin to the ground.

Tosin gasped in shock, "Sheriff," holding a hand to his head.

"Where's Ms. Lily?" John asked, with a foot on Tosin's chest.

"Who is that?"

"The woman you took from the jail," John retorted.

"The fancy lady?"

"Yes. Where is she?"

Tosin massaged his head. "She struck me."

John took off his foot without even flinching.

"Where is she right now?"

"I'm not sure. Don't want a woman who strikes."

"Why did you take her in the first place?"

"I got her out of jail because she wanted to leave."

"Why didn't you just let her go?"

Tosin grimaced. "Cause she is mine."

John gave a long exhale. "Tosin..." Headlights suddenly sped through the trees. A door slammed and Arthur charged into the clearing with his gun drawn.

"Over here!" John called, and pulled Tosin to his feet. "Cuff him," he said to Arthur.

John inquired once more, "Where did the woman go?" while Arthur fastened handcuffs to Tosin's wrists.

"I'm not sure. Don't care," Tosin said. "She struck me."

Arthur turned to face John. "What do you think?"

John gave the woods a quick peek. "I believe she is somewhere out there."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Take Tosin and put him in jail, then assemble a posse. We need to track her down."

"Are you planning on staying here?"

"Yes. I'll begin looking."

Arthur grabbed Tosin's arm. "What were you thinking? You can't just take a woman. That is kidnapping. She is now missing out here."

"Don't care?"

Arthur continued to correct Tosin as they made their way to the truck, but Tosin refused to change his "don't care" stance. His ideal of what a woman ought to be has been dispelled by Ms. Lily. John believed Ms. Lily was good at dispelling delusions.

John took off his hat and used his arm to wipe his forehead. His back was covered with hot sweat. Why did Ms. Lily have to speed through his town?

Where was she? She may be anywhere in the vast woods. He put his hat on, slapped a mosquito, and covered his mouth with his hands.

He called, "Ms. Lily can you hear me? Tosin has left. You are safe Ms. Lily!"

Zip. Nada. Nothing.

He proceeded towards his horse while exhaling heavily. He had to find her. Ms. Lily was going to be the death of him.

CHARLOTTE RAN and continued to run. She needed to get as far away as she could. Her face, arms, and legs were scratched by branches and brush, but she persisted. The lunatic was behind her --- with a gun. Her body began to perspire, and her breathing grew laboured. She still wouldn't give up.

Her foot caught on a tree root and she fell headlong to the ground. She spat out some dirt and a leaf. She started crying and couldn't hold it back. Her body wracked with sobs as tears streamed from her eyes. She gave in to them and rolled into a foetal position.

For about five minutes.

She stood up after that and began wiping her face with her soiled hands. The darkness surrounded her like walls. Something stung her arm and she scratched it. Another sting. Mosquitoes. Damn it! Just what she needed.

She could see the moon through the trees' spider-like limbs, but the trees prevented the light from reaching her. She was really by herself. She felt let down by Henry. The sheriff had, too.

Her attention was drawn by a rustling sound. She pondered what was outside as she shivered in the oppressive heat. Her new companion, fear, was right there in her chest. She had no survival skills. She had received pampering and protection. Similar nightmares have occurred to other people.

How had this happened to her?

'It was her fault.'

That reality struck her in the chest. She was her worst own enemy. When she was twenty-eight, she threw a tantrum about her mother's remarriage. She needed to grow up, according to Henry and her mother.

Growing up like this was hell.

She stood up after slapping another insect with renewed resolve. She had to demonstrate that she wasn't a ditz and that she could care for herself without Henry's or her mother's help. She could get through this. She only needed to keep evading Tosin. She would go missing by dawn, and the sheriff would start looking for her. He had to, she reasoned. He was the sheriff.

She dusted off her clothes and listened intently in case Tosin was following her through the woods. Unfamiliar thud-thud noises were heard. It might be Tosin. She had to proceed. She turned and froze.

A few feet away, a hog the size of a walrus grunted. Given that he didn't resemble the pigs she had seen on television or in movies, it was obvious that the animal was a wild boar. His hair was quite long and his skin was black and unkempt. It also had a longer snout. It emanated an unwelcoming, harsh sound.

In a blink of holy hell the hog lowered his head and charged her. She shrieked, dove for a tree, seized a limb, and ascended more quickly than she could have ever imagined. Her foot slipped and she gripped another branch. She heard and felt a snap. The limb gave way and before she knew it she was falling.

'No! No!'

A gunshot sounded out, chillingly resonating through the trees, and she fell to the ground. She struggled to stand up and then rushed forward despite every muscle in her body screaming for her to stop. Tosin wouldn't get her.

"Ms. Lily!"

She recognized that voice. She turned around and caught a sight of the deputy on a horse. Moonlight glistened off the rifle he held in his hand, and even though shadows lurked around him, the sight was comforting. He dismounted. "Ms. Lily," he called once more. "The sheriff is here. You are safe."