Chapter 8

A wooded area

Laura threw all her weight against Luke.  They both tumbled to the ground as the bullet struck the tree behind Luke.

"So the little lady wants to go first.  I can arrange that," said Hank.

Hank aimed his gun at her.  Laura closed her eyes as another shot rang out.  She waited for the bullet to hit her.  She expected a sharp pain, but she felt nothing.  Maybe being shot to death wasn't as painful as she had thought it would be.

"Angel, are you ok?"

She thought she heard Luke's voice.  Was Luke dead too?

"At least we are together," she thought to herself.

"Laura!" Luke shouted at her.

She felt him shaking her.  She opened her eyes to see Luke staring down at her.

"Luke?  Am I…am I dead?" she asked.

Luke laughed.  "No baby, you are alive."  He kissed her tenderly.  "And so am I thanks to you."

"But he had the gun pointed at me.  I heard the shot."

"The shot came from my gun Laura," said Hutch.  "I came to just before he aimed at you."

Laura looked and saw Hank laying on the ground with a gunshot in his back.

"He won't be bothering you again," said Hutch.

"Thanks Hutch, you saved our lives."

She turned to Luke and threw her arms around him.

"Oh Luke, I thought I was going to lose you forever."

"I'm fine Angel.  But you sure scared me when you did that.  Don't you know that you could have been killed."

"I know, but all that mattered to me at the time was to save you."

Hutch held up his hands.

"Listen you two can talk about this when you get home.  Right now, we need to get you out of this town."

Luke and Laura nodded at him.  Laura noticed that Hutch was hurt.  She rummaged through her bag and pulled out a first aid kit.

"Let me take care of that for you Hutch," she said.

"I'm fine."

"No you're not.  Now come over here and sit down."

"Laura, we don't have time for this.  I'm fine," insisted Hutch.

Laura put her hands on her hips and gave him a stern look.

"Uh oh," said Luke.  He turned to Hutch.  "Forget it Pal, when she gets that look on her face, she means business.  You may as well give in and let her treat your wound.  She isn't going anywhere until you do."

"Oh, all right," said Hutch.

He sat down on a log and Laura bandaged the wound on his head.

"There you go.  It will be sore for a few days, but you will soon be as good as new."

"Thanks.  Can we go now."

Laura nodded and threw her first aid kit bag into her bag.  Soon they were once more on their way to the docks where Mike was waiting for them with a boat.

While they were trudging through the woods, Jennifer Smith and her other three men arrived at the docks.

"When Luke and Laura get here, we will be ready for them, Miss Smith," said Charles.  "They won't escape."