1 Chapter 1

1

Kip grabbed his backpack and ran. He kept running even though his lungs burned and his legs ached, until his body rebelled and he collapsed. Even fear and adrenaline couldn’t make him take one step more. He could crawl, however, and he did, into the underbrush.

He buried his face in the crook of his arm to cover his gasps for breath. He saw me. If he finds me, he’ll kill me, too.

It had all started when Kip was awakened by the sound of a car coming to a stop on the road not too far from where he was camping for the night. Camping was probably a misnomer. Homeless, and tired of trying to survive on the streets in a city where there were tons of kids like him, he’d decided he couldn’t do any worse if he took off for the mountains. He’d figured, since it was late summer, at least he wouldn’t freeze to death. He’d deal with winter when the time came

There were small towns where, if he got lucky and was careful to avoid the local police, he could beg from tourists heading to or from Grand Junction. He’d tell them he was broke and his car had run out of gas or had blown a tire, or whatever. Some of them commiserated with him, giving him enough spare change so that he could buy food or a cheap meal at a diner. Just like in the city, but without the danger of a punk or the cops trying to hassle me.

He’d also found out that some small town people were very trusting. They didn’t lock their doors, or their garages, during the day. That was how he’d ended up with a decent waterproof sleeping bag to replace the old raggedy one he’d had, as well as two blankets. He’d crept into a couple of homes when he saw the owners leave and gotten lucky, finding some clothes and a worn winter jacket that didn’t look as if he’d scrounged them out of a dumpster—which was where most of what he’d brought with him had come from.

When he wasn’t begging, or what he told himself was ‘borrowing’ what he needed, he was living rough in the forest, staying close enough to one or another of the roads so that he wouldn’t get lost—but far enough away that no one would know he was around.

That had worked out fine—until tonight.

He’d listened to the car doors open and figured, prayed actually, that whoever was getting out was making a pit stop before moving on. In case that wasn’t what was happening, he’d slithered silently out of the sleeping bag, grabbed his backpack, and crawled under the low-hanging branches of a tall pine.

Moments later he’d heard footsteps and someone said, “This should work.”

Then a second man was begging, “Don’t kill me. I swear I’ll give you every cent of it. Let me go and I’ll vanish where no one can find me.”

A third man said, “That’s the plan. Your body won’t be found until…well, probably never. Not out here.”

Kip peeped out from his hiding place. In the dim moonlight he saw two men, big and burly, holding guns. There was a third man wearing nice slacks and a dress shirt. He looked like he’d just come from the office—except for the fact that his hands were tied behind his back.

They’re going to killhim and there’s nothing I can do.

One of the bruisers put his hand on the victim’s shoulder, forcing him to his knees.

“No. Noooooooooo,” the man screamed seconds before the other bruiser put his gun to the back of the man’s head and fired twice.

Kip couldn’t help it. He let out a gasp of horror as the man fell face-forward, the back of his head leaking blood and brains. Both killers turned to look his way.

“We’ve got a witness,” one of them said, striding toward the pine—and Kip. “Show yourself,” he ordered.

Like hell.Kip backed away until he was on the other side of the tree. Then he jumped to his feet at the same moment the second bruiser, the one who had killed the man, came into view a few feet away. They looked at each other for what seemed to Kip like an eternity—and then he ran. A shot rang out and he could have sworn he felt the breeze from the bullet as it barely missed him. He darted through the trees, hearing the men coming after him.

He had one advantage. He knew the area and was used to moving through the trees, although not while running for his life. Still, he managed to elude them, not stopping until he couldn’t take another step. Dropping, he crawled deep into the underbrush.

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