Stowaway Read Online Free PDF Page A

could she expect in her carefully planned, long-awaited vacation? Movement in her peripheral vision made her stiffen in renewed alarm. Just some nocturnal creature, she assured herself while holding her breath. When nothing and no one materialized after a couple minutes, she let out a long sigh.
    The cabin suddenly looked like a haven from the unknown. She’d have to make a run for it, but first she had to find the nerve. Wimpy wouldn’t get it. Adventure and excitement took a certain amount of courage, she argued to herself. She couldn’t be balking at imagined threats. She had to look fear in the face and overcome it.
    With that thought, she unbuckled her belt, jumped from the car and ran. The nip in the air bit her flesh as she raced toward the porch and its faint beacon of light. Sweating and shivering, she made the dash without being attacked by unknown assailants. As soon as she got inside, she slammed and locked the door behind her.
    Breathless from jitters as well as exertion, she leaned against the doorframe, her chest heaving. As she caught her breath, she glanced at Lamanto and relaxed a little. He hadn’t moved a muscle and his presence calmed her. Ridiculous! She didn’t need a man to make her feel safe, yet…
    “Better the devil you know…” she whispered, and then hurried toward the bedroom. The furnishings consisted of a double bed, a dresser and a nightstand. She checked the lock on the window and closed the curtains. Next she went through the bathroom to the kitchen and then into a small utility room off the back porch. After checking more locks, she sat down at the small short-wave radio.
    She couldn’t contact the sheriff’s office in Thornsbury, but she could relay a message to her dad through the ranger station. It took a few minutes to familiarize herself with the controls, and then she started to chant the call letters.
    A slight movement to her left caught her attention, and the words got stuck in her throat. Her eyes went wide at the sight of her dad’s pistol being leveled on her.
    Her pulse had just calmed and it leapt again, then began racing as she looked into Lamanto’s dark, deadly gaze.

Chapter Three
    “Shut it off.”
    He issued the command in a tone as threatening as his expression. Keri stared at his frozen features, studying him intently, but saw no evidence of weakness.
    Most people in her position would fear for their life. After the initial shock, fear took second place to self-disgust. How could she have been stupid enough to think he was totally incapacitated?
    She hoped nobody ever learned she’d carelessly left a weapon within this man’s reach. She’d broken the sacred lawmen’s rule of never underestimating the enemy. The fact that he held the gun left no doubt about him being the enemy.
    “If I don’t radio that I arrived safely, my dad will be here before daybreak.”
    His eyes narrowed. “You radio him directly?”
    “I have a message relayed from the ranger station,” she explained, keeping her tone low and reasonable even though her nerves felt wired. A slight tremor shook her hand, but she quickly willed away the fear.
    “You told them I’m here?”
    “Yes, we’ll be surrounded by law enforcement officials any minute now,” she replied, shifting her gaze to his midsection.
    After several long heartbeats, he responded with a challenge. “You’re not a very good liar.”
    “Because I don’t make a habit of lying,” she snapped right back, annoyed that he’d read her so easily. “Unlike some people who break their word without a qualm.”
    “Meaning?”
    “Meaning you promised not to do anything stupid if I helped with your wound. I thought cops honored their word.”
    Instead of remorse, the corner of Lamanto’s mouth lifted ever so slightly in a wry grin.
    “I didn’t break my word. I didn’t try to run, and I haven’t done anything stupid. From my point of view, it would be damned stupid to let you call the authorities right