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Sending
up a quick prayer to anyone who might be listening, Clarissa took a deep
breath, then slammed on the brakes, spinning the wheel as fast as she dared
before stomping on the gas again. The sudden, sharp movement caused a flash of
pain in her side, but she gritted her teeth, tightly gripped the wheel, and
ignored it.

The
car fishtailed again, the wheels spinning, and the back of the sedan slammed
into a tree. Clarissa jerked in her seat at the impact but didn’t let up on the
gas. Bouncing off the tree, the wheels caught and she was racing down the road.
She let out the breath she’d been holding. That had been close.

Watching
in the mirror, she saw the SUV skid and slow, then back up to make the turn.

Clarissa
cursed under her breath, jerking her attention back to the road. It was
rougher, the beams from the headlights dancing crazily as the car bounced and
dipped over the uneven patches.

A
sharp curve loomed ahead, and Clarissa’s hands tightened until her knuckles
were white. Fear lapped at her, but she fought it. There wasn’t any time to be
scared.

Bracing
herself, she slowed the car. The empty space beyond the bend in the road made
her blood turn to ice. If she didn’t make it, it was a long way down. She
turned the wheel.

The
car slid past the edge of the road, and Clarissa choked back a cry. But luck or
an angel was with her because just when she felt sure her next breath would be
her last, the car shot forward again.

Her
heart pounded in her chest, while her palms were damp and slick on the steering
wheel. Watching in the mirror, Clarissa held her breath while the SUV easily
made the turn.

Damn!
How was she going to lose him?

Looking
back at the road, Clarissa screamed, instinctively jerking the wheel and
slamming on the brakes to avoid hitting the deer standing directly in her path.

The
car swerved with a sickening lurch, spinning 180 degrees before sliding off the
road and down a steep embankment. Slamming into trees, it broke branches before
flipping once end over end.

Clarissa’s
heart was in her throat, the world upside down and righting itself around her. The
sound of wrenching metal was loud in her ears as she was flung against the
steering wheel, her head slamming against something so hard the pain caused
instant nausea.

Her
last terrified thought was that she was going to die.

Erik
stomped on the brakes, bringing the SUV to a skidding halt. Vaulting from the
seat, he watched as the sedan came to a shuddering stop at the bottom of the
embankment. The metal was twisted and dented, a telling path of destruction
left in its wake.

His
feet slid in the snow as he made his way down to the car, gun in hand. The last
thing he wanted was the girl getting the drop on him, though he’d be very
surprised if the crash hadn’t done permanent damage to her.

“FBI!”
he shouted, the words immediately muffled by the falling snow. “Put your hands
where I can see them!”

No
response. Steam rolled from underneath the hood, the engine exuding a quiet hiss
as escaping liquid touched the hot metal. The woods were quite still now, the idling
of the SUV a distant purr as Erik cautiously approached the car. Snow squeaked
and crunched under his boots as he walked. He never took his eyes from the
windows and saw nothing move inside.

The
twin glow of the SUV’s headlights cut through the darkness, the falling snow
grabbing the light and reflected into the night. Erik was close enough now
to see the glass had shattered in the driver’s side window. Acutely aware that
this woman had just shot a man less than fifteen minutes ago, Erik held his gun
steady.

“FBI,”
he repeated loudly. Still nothing. Cautiously, he bent to peer into the car.

The
woman was crumpled in the driver’s seat, her head lolling forward on her neck,
forehead nearly touching the pristine steering wheel.

The
steering wheel. Completely intact, with no limp airbag hanging from its center.

Erik
pressed two fingers to her neck, underneath her jaw, hoping she wasn’t dead. It
would be just his luck to have his hunt for her end with her dead from a car
crash. A steady pulse beat under his fingers.

Making
what he hoped wouldn’t be his last decision, Erik swiftly holstered his gun
before reaching for the door handle. Though he pulled, it refused to open. Muttering
a few choice curses, he put his back into it, but still the mangled steel
wouldn’t budge. Well, that really left only one option.

He
reached through the window, feeling his way through the dark to where the seat
belt latched, holding the woman firmly in place. As he pressed the button, the
seat belt relaxed, retracting as the woman slumped forward against the steering
wheel and Erik’s arm.

Hoping
nothing vital had been broken, and not caring overly much if it had, Erik
maneuvered until he had grasped her beneath her arms. He pulled her through the
window. The fact that she wasn’t wearing a coat helped to get her through the
small space. Erik glanced up at the hill he’d just climbed down. Nice. Getting
back up to the SUV while carrying her was going to be a complete pain in the
ass.

Hoisting
her in his arms, he began the climb. Thankfully, she was a little thing and
didn’t weigh much. Still, Erik slipped and slid up the hill, losing his footing
and going down to his knees a couple of times. The falling snowflakes coated
his lashes, and he blinked them away, keeping his gaze on the ground in front
of him.

He
struggled on, the woman in his arms oblivious to the difficulties she was
inflicting on him. His foot slipped again, and Erik cursed as his hand shot out
to grab a tree to keep himself upright. Clarissa moaned, the sound quiet and
pained, as he lost his grip on her legs.

Erik’s
lips pressed into a grim line as he carefully readjusted her in his arms. He
was almost there; he just had to be more careful. No more falls.

As
he neared the vehicle, he could see her a bit clearer, the headlights cutting
through the shadows. Her hair obscured part of her face, but Erik thought he
could see the dark trail of blood. Unconsciously, his steps quickened.

Finally,
he reached the SUV. Sweat coated his skin underneath his thick coat and sweater,
the frigid air he sucked in burning its way down his throat and lungs. He
opened the back door, easing her onto the seat. Standing back, he took a moment
to catch his breath, his back aching from the climb. Looking at her, he
frowned. She was wearing that little black uniform, her legs encased in nylons,
while her arms were bare against the cold.

By
all rights, he should let her freeze her ass off. That’s what Erik kept telling
himself as he dug in the back of the SUV, pulling out the emergency blanket
he’d put there, just in case. He tossed it over her still form, giving it a
rough tuck under her legs, protecting them from the cold leather seats.

He
slammed the door shut, reminding himself that she could very well be playing
him, just waiting for the chance when his back was turned to attack. Just
because she was little didn’t mean she was any less dangerous.

Another
trip down the hill to the car and Erik retrieved the two bags he found inside,
stowing them in the back of the SUV.  His muscles burned from the exertion as
he finally climbed into the driver’s seat and shifted the car into drive. His
hand stuck slightly to the gearshift. Curious, Erik glanced at his palm.

It
was smeared with blood. Her blood.

Shit.

The
nearest hospital was two hours away, probably more in this weather. Erik
grabbed his cell, only to see that the storm had eroded what slight service
he’d had: the display showed no bars. His only choice was to take his chances
and try to get her to the hospital as quickly as he could.

Erik
drove, retracing his path through the woods as best he could, though the snow
and darkness made it slow and difficult. The switchbacks appeared as if from
nowhere, their dangerous curves threatening to send the SUV plummeting to
unseen depths. The road grew uneven, the tires dipping into gouges covered in
snow. After hitting a particularly rough patch, Erik heard a soft whimper from
the backseat. He glanced in the rearview mirror, but the girl hadn’t moved. His
hands tightened on the steering wheel.

After
driving for another forty-five minutes, Erik was forced to admit that he was
lost. The chase she’d led him on had turned him around, his sense of direction
utterly screwed by the snowstorm, the map and cell phone lying on the seat next
to him utterly useless.

Each
minute that ticked by seemed to mock Erik. The sticky blood on his hand as he
gripped the steering wheel reminding him that he had a responsibility to the
girl, even if she was a criminal and cold-blooded killer.

Up
ahead, the beam from the headlights glinted off something metallic. Squinting
through the snow, Erik realized it was a mailbox. Wondering how in the hell
anyone got mail out here — and his respect for postmen inching upward a notch —
Erik aimed the SUV toward it, turning in to the tiny drive that led deeper into
the thick woods.

A
few minutes and several rough bounces later, a log cabin came into view. No
cheery lights burned from the windows, but it was shelter.

He
pulled to a stop in front of the cabin, noticing no other vehicles or tire
tracks. The snow had piled up, and it came to Erik’s shins when he cut the
engine and climbed out of the SUV. Deciding to leave the girl in the car while
he checked out the place, he grabbed a flashlight from the trunk and headed to
the front door.

The
slam of the car door penetrated the girl’s consciousness, her eyes slitting
open as the fog slowly lifted from her mind.

Where
was she?

It
was dark, and cold, though she had a blanket over her. She sat up, then gasped
at the sharp stabs of pain the movement produced. Her side felt like it was on
fire; her head ached as though she’d drunk a gallon of Guinness last night.

Lightly
touching her forehead, she winced, and her fingers came away wet. What
happened? Why was she in this condition? Her hair felt funny, and with a quick
tug, she pulled off a wig, tossing it aside.

She
seemed to be alone. Whoever had driven the car was no longer there. Had they
left her behind?

Opening
the car door was more difficult than it should have been, the pain in her side
knifing through her until she was breathless. She kept at it until she stood
shivering in the knee-deep snow. Her mind spun in confusion as the icy snow
landed gently on her face and arms, the tiny pinpricks of cold unrelenting. Where
was she? What should she do? Fear made her breath come faster as she clutched
her side, struggling to see through the pitch-black woods. A cabin stood not
far from the vehicle, a lone lamp burning in a near window.

A
light suddenly danced across the snow. Someone was coming. The flashlight arced
across her face, momentarily blinding her, before coming back in an abrupt
jerk. She raised her hand to shield her eyes.

“Hey!
Don’t move!”

The
shout broke the silence of the woods, startling her. The light was coming
quicker now, the beam erratic as its owner struggled through the drifts.

Panic
hit hard, and the cold rush of adrenaline flooded her veins, temporarily
numbing the pain in her side and head. Turning, she ran.

Erik
cursed as he saw her disappear into the darkness. She was an idiot if she
thought she was going to escape him. In this weather, clad as she was and
obviously hurt, she’d die.

That
thought galvanized him, and he picked up speed, thinking of what he’d like to
do to her for making him run through the damn snow after carrying her ass up
that embankment.

He
followed where he’d seen her disappear, his foul mood turning more disagreeable
with each passing moment. Icy water dripped from his wet hair down under the
collar of his sweater, his legs practically numb from the knees down as the
stiff, cold denim of his jeans abraded his skin. The boots that had seemed
impenetrable in the store proved even they couldn’t withstand a Colorado
snowstorm, and his feet squished inside their damp socks.

“I
am not chasing you through the damn woods in the middle of the night!” he
called out. No answer. He played his flashlight through the trees, grudgingly
admiring how quickly she’d hidden herself, though it had been a stupid move. “Come
out,” he demanded. “You’ll die out there otherwise.” Not that he cared overly
much at this particular moment. His toes were numb now.

Erik
waited. Still no answer. He tried again. “I’ll give you to the count of five to
come out. I know you’re hurt. You won’t make it far, and there’s nothing and no
one for miles.” Silence.

“One…two…”

Nothing.
The flashlight illuminated no movement among the silent trees.

“Three…four…”

The
thought occurred to him that maybe she was unconscious again, unable to come
out because she was even now collapsed in the freezing snow. That image had him
moving forward again.

“I’m
here.”

Erik
spun around, wondering how the hell she’d gotten behind him, only to see
something dark hurtling through the night. He dropped the flashlight, but was
still too late to stop the heavy tree branch from landing hard in his gut,
knocking the breath from his lungs.

The
branch fell to the ground as Erik’s temper ignited. The girl turned to run, and
he launched himself at her, tackling her to the ground. He rolled as they fell
so he wouldn’t land on top of her, but didn’t ease the tight hold he had on her
arms.

She
struggled in his grip, managing to get one arm free and scramble to her knees
in the snow. Erik latched his arm around her waist, yanking her back down.