Yacine worked his way through a section of jumbled rock.

He came upon stands of lodgepole, cottonwood and willows where erosion had bitten into a slope.

He stepped his way around mounded stone, tangled branches and kept going. Next he came to a rock formation, worked his way up a steep slope to a clearing of huge boulders and a flat rock face.

He caught his breath at the clearing.

Another sweeping view.

Yacine scanned it and his heart lifted.

He saw patches of highway beyond the next ridge and grinned.

Closer than he could’ve hoped for.

He could hear the distant hum of traffic traveling along the road.

He was practically there.

-Chapter 53-

Near Jade Falls, Washington

Fortin continued pushing himself, moving double time to make up for any distance lost, all while concentrating on Yacine’s trail.

Fortin came to a clearing and studied the panoramic view.

Civilization.

Fortin fixed his gaze on slivers of a highway in the distance. Then he scrutinized the forests. A few hundred yards off, he noticed a tiny burst of black near the sway of bush.

A bear?

Fortin locked on to the spot and saw another streak of black then a tiny flash of pale white.

Human.

A face.

That’s him! That’s Yacine!

Fortin was close.

He resumed, encouraged by confirmation that he was closing the gap he trotted faster.

Yes, he was close.

So close.

-Chapter 54-

Near Jade Falls, Washington

Ren continued taking inventory of her family’s tragedies as she drove.

She wasn’t feeling sorry for herself. Goodness no, she was well aware that people all over the world faced greater challenges.

She was only thinking of her son.

Look at everything Lee’s been through, duty in Afghanistan, then coming home to his dad’s death then being in the bank where all those people died during that horrible robbery. Lee had seen the whole thing. After all these years, the police still hadn’t caught the killers.

Then, just last month, the FBI said they’d needed to show Lee some sort of important new evidence.

Lord, wasn’t he under enough strain?

Ren continued reasoning with God.

“If you have to take my son please keep him alive long enough for me to get to his side, to tell him how much I love him. To say goodbye.”

Ren was a strong woman, but her fears were crushing and she broke down as she approached a four-mile stretch that curved around dense bush.

-Chapter 55-

Near Jade Falls, Washington

At last.

Stepping from the forest, Yacine exhaled and walked to the edge of the highway.

Bending over, breathing hard through a broad smile, he shook his head.

I’m home free.

Gasping, Yacine kept his eyes on the lonely road and waited for a vehicle, ready to hitch a ride.