But she'd made it, she was out of the car, and now the car was speeding down the narrow, empty track, heading directly for a pool of water that May had seen at the bottom of the hill.
By the time the gunmen got to the bottom, she hoped the car would be partially submerged.
May had no idea if this would work or how long it would take the men to realize what had happened.
She scrambled to her feet, shaking sand out of her hair and the back of her shirt, and sprinted for the nearby woods, knowing that if she didn't get herself out of sight, then everything she had done, all her efforts, would be wasted, and she'd end up landing herself in desperate danger.
She burst into the cover of the trees and scrambled behind a thick, sturdy pine. There, she cowered down, gasping for air, watching the SUV speed by in pursuit of the now empty car she'd abandoned. Headlights flared, and then the car powered past. Another gunshot cracked, and she winced instinctively, even though she knew they were shooting at the other car and not at her.
She watched the car in front picking up speed as it headed for the pond.
May narrowed her eyes and braced herself for the sound of the car crashing into the water. Any moment now, she would hear it, above the bouncing, clattering noise of the speeding vehicle.
And then, the moment came. With a roaring, tearing sound, it hit the small lake.
She hoped that the men following behind would spend some time inspecting the waterlogged wreckage when it was over the rutted course, that they'd think the thief had been trapped inside —at least, for long enough for May to get back.
She didn't have to keep reminding herself that lives depended on this.
Now, in the darkness lit only by the scarlet glow of the taillights, she could rush back up the hill.
May powered out from behind the tree, and ran with everything she had, her feet thumping against the hard ground, her heart pounding in her chest.
She had no idea how long it would take the gunmen to realize that their car thief had escaped the vehicle. Or how long it would take them to decide what was more important — retrieving the car and its contents or getting back up the hill to resume their interrogation of Professor Bright.
May sped along, her legs powering her up the steep slope, her breath burning her lungs, knowing that she needed to make the most of every precious minute that she'd bought. It was all about timing, about speed, about making the most of the covering darkness.
She hoped that both Owen and the professor would be safe when she got back. Especially Owen. Her heart clenched as the thought that he might be in danger. Please let him be okay, she prayed.
There ahead was the trailer. Lights glowed dimly inside. The unmarked car was empty, so Owen must be in there, but Mayhad no idea who else was or what had played out after she'd gone on her impulsive, desperate mission.
There was nothing for it but to race to the door and see what the results had been.
In just a few more seconds, May realized breathlessly, she'd know if her distraction had worked.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The clock was ticking, May knew. The thugs that had arrived at Professor Bright’s trailer were down at the lake. And she had no idea what she would find as she rushed to the trailer door.
Worst case was that two had stayed behind. If two had stayed behind, Owen could be in terrible danger now.
May's adrenaline was surging as she pounded up to the trailer. The door was ajar, and light was filtering out.
She breathed in, her lungs expanding as she tried to get as much oxygen as possible. And then, for a precious moment that felt like an eternity, she stayed quiet and listened.
Always let your ears help you out when going into an unknown situation. That was wise advice that Sheriff Jack had told her when she'd started investigating serious crimes, and it had stuck with her since.
Apart from the pounding of her own heart, and the rustle of the wind in the dark treetops, she could hear nothing. She drew her gun, holding it ready.
She reached out a hand, knowing that she was about to find out what had happened, even if it meant getting caught up in a gun battle.
She pulled open the door with the tips of her fingers and the door swung out.
Owen was standing just inside it.
"May?" he hissed.
His sudden appearance in the doorway gave her such a fright that she gasped in shock.