“Stay down,” Nick said. “When he goes into the barn to look for you, we’ll have to run for it. It’ll take a minute or so before he finds out you’re gone—maybe we can get to the truck by then.”

“Do you think we can make it?”

“We’d better—because he’ll be coming after us.”

A few seconds later Nick saw Riddick turn and charge across the lawn toward the hay barn. “Get ready,” he told Alena.

He watched Riddick throw the barn door open and duck inside; he could hear the piercing shriek of the wheels even above the barking dogs.

“Now!” Nick said, grabbing Alena by the arm and hauling her to her feet.

They stumbled forward through the tall grass. The thick strands wrapping around Alena’s ankles made progress exhausting and agonizingly slow. She stumbled more than once, then finally collapsed on all fours and vomited in the grass.

Nick squatted down beside her. “Take a minute—catch your breath.”

“Go on without me,” she whispered.

“Not a chance.”

“I mean it—take Trygg and go.”

Nick paused. “You know, I never realized what a whiner you are.”

She turned her head and looked at him. “What?”

“Look at Trygg—she’s only got three legs, and you don’t see her complaining.”

“I got hit on the head. It feels like my brains are coming out my ears.”

“What a drama queen. Should I send the dog out for an ice pack?”

“You know, you’re really starting to make me mad.”

“That’s the general idea. Can we go now?” Nick poked his head up from the grass and looked back at the barn—still no sign of Riddick. “Let’s go—we won’t have long.”

They started forward again, keeping to the tall grass, working their way past the house and up the road toward the grove of trees where Nick had ditched the truck. Nick glanced back as he ran, watching the barn door for any sign of Riddick; when Riddick finally did appear, Nick dropped into the grass and pulled Alena down with him. “He’s back— he knows you’re gone and he knows I’m the one who took you. He has to find you again—his life depends on it.”

Nick poked his head up just enough to see; he saw Riddick turn to his right and start across the lawn toward the kennels.

Nick turned to Alena. “What kind of dogs are those, anyway? Can you tell by the way they bark?”

She listened. “The big ones are July hounds or English Fell hounds— maybe a Bouvier or two. I hear a PennMaryDel in there—you can always tell their voice. The higher pitches are beagles—why?”

“Are they good trackers?”

“They’re foxhounds, Nick—what do you think?”

Nick took her by the arm. “I think we’d better run.”

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