Mountain Ambush

“Out of here!” she shouted, delivering firm strikes to his ribs, arms and shoulders, forcing him backward. He stumbled out the open front door. She slammed it shut and flipped the dead bolt.

She rushed to Spence’s side. “Are you—?”

“Fine,” he said.

“Come on.” She grabbed his arm and led him into the bedroom. “We need to block the window!”

She didn’t think the intruder would try another attack, not with blurred vision from the chili powder and bruised ribs, but she couldn’t be sure. Spence helped her shoulder an armoire in front of the now glassless window.

Shutting the bedroom door, she scanned the room, grabbed a chair and wedged it against the handle. Even if the intruder got in through a living room window, he wasn’t getting into the bedroom.

Backing up against the empty wall where the armoire had been, she took a deep breath and reminded herself it wasn’t over until the police arrived.

She had to be ready for whatever happened next.

Spence shifted onto the edge of the bed. Silence stretched between them, the sound of her heart pounding against her eardrums.

“You’re a ninja,” Dr. Spencer said.

She glanced at him. “What?”

“The way you used my hiking stick as a weapon. You’re a ninja.”

“And you’re an idiot,” she let slip.

He looked up at her with a confused expression.

“I told you to stay hidden, but you jumped up like a jack-in-the-box and announced yourself. What was that about?”

“I was trying to distract him, so he wouldn’t hurt you.”

Maddie was speechless. Even in his injured state, Dr. Spencer was trying to protect her?

“I had a hard time figuring out how to activate the extinguisher, sorry,” he said.

“We should keep quiet and listen.”

“I doubt he’ll come back. You gave him at least three broken ribs by my count.”

She didn’t respond, trying to stay in the present, and not relive what had just happened. With full concentration on the now, she could effectively catalog every sound that tweaked her eardrums.

“Thanks for saving my life,” he said, “again.”

She didn’t want his thanks. She wanted him to get better so he could defend himself. She wanted him to use his common sense. He was in no condition to protect Maddie from harm. It was pretty obvious she didn’t need his help, or anyone else’s for that matter.

“Where’d you learn that stuff with the stick?” Spence asked.

“Martial arts class.”

“Guess I should sign up.”

“How can you be so aloof?” she said.

“Not sure how the alternative would help.”

He was right, although Maddie still couldn’t calm her racing pulse. Her phone vibrated and she answered with one hand, while gripping the stick with her other. “Hello?”

“It’s Nate.”

“The guy broke in. We forced him out, but he might still be on the premises.”

“Officer Carrington called in suspicious activity and went silent.”

“I heard a gunshot. I haven’t seen him since then.”

“I’m en route, along with another cruiser. Two minutes tops.”

“Thanks.”

The fact that help was close eased the tension in her shoulders. Taking a deep breath, she said a prayer of thanks for giving her the strength to snap into action so quickly.

“What’s wrong?” Spence said.

“Why do you think something’s wrong?”

“You’re humming.”

“I am?”

“Yes.”

“Sometimes I hum when I pray.”

“You’re praying?”

“Yep. A prayer of thanks that we outmaneuvered that jerk.”

“A prayer of thanks,” he said in a soft, puzzled voice.

“Don’t you pray?”

“Never given it much thought.”

“That’s the beauty of it. You don’t have to think about prayer. You just do it.”

“Does it help?”

“Absolutely.”