Beverly Barton - The Outcast

Reece held Elizabeth away from him. "Draw me the map, but do it quickly."

She dashed over to the desk beneath the windows, fumbled inside the middle drawer and pulled out paper and pencil.

"If the deputies find any evidence that I've been here with you, tell them I held you at gunpoint. Tell them I threatened your life."

She held up the completed map, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "Don't worry about me. I won't have to talk to any deputies. Besides, they'd never believe you held me at gunpoint for four days. Not in the shape you were in, and not with MacDatho around."

Reece took the map out of her hand, shoved it into his jacket pocket, then grabbed her by the waist, drawing her up against him. "Take care, huh, Lizzie. And don't shed any tears over me.'' He wiped the tears from her eyes with the tip of his finger. "I'm not worth crying over. I'm not worth anybody caring about me."

"You're wrong about that." She kissed his chin. "You are worth somebody caring." She kissed his jaw and then his cheek. "You deserve someone's tears." She kissed him lightly on the mouth. "You deserve to be loved, Reece Landry."

"Damn you, Lizzie. Don't do this to me!" His kiss consumed her with his brutal need, with his savage passion. All the loneliness, the pain, the anger that had been building inside him since the day he'd been born verged into one obsession. To have Elizabeth Mallory be that somebody. The somebody who'd care. The somebody who'd cry for him. The somebody who'd love him.

Feeling his desperation, Elizabeth tried to give him what he needed, to respond with an open heart. As her tears clouded her vision, she clung to him, whispering his name over and over again as he buried his face against her neck, his nose nuzzling her hair.

Mustering all the control he possessed, Reece released Elizabeth and stepped away from her. "Say a prayer for me, Lizzie."

More afraid than she'd ever been in her life, she stood motionless. She watched Reece walk to the door, pat MacDatho on the head and pick up the large duffel bag from the floor before opening the front door.

When he walked out onto the porch, Elizabeth forced her legs to move. She lingered in the doorway while he got into the Jeep and drove down the road, away from Sequana Falls.

MacDatho waited patiently at her side, finally circling her as a signal that he thought it was time for them to go inside. Elizabeth glanced down at Mac, nodding in agreement, suddenly feeling the frigid air seeping through her clothing.

Twirling around, she ran inside, MacDatho at her heels. She knew what she had to do. If she hurried, Reece wouldn't have more than an hour or so head start. And it didn't really matter because she knew what roads he would be taking off the mountain, past Dover's Mill and all the way into Newell.

She was not going to let Reece face this ordeal alone. She was going to be at his side, offering him all the support she could give him. And Sam, even if he didn't know it yet, was going to help them uncover the real murderer.

Within twenty minutes she had packed her suitcase, doused all the fires in the fireplaces, checked both greenhouses, sacked a grocery bag filled with MacDatho's food and pulled Sam's antique car out of the barn they used as a garage and parked it in front of the cabin.

She dialed Aunt Margaret's number, mentally preparing herself to lie about her plans. "Aunt Margaret, I wanted to let you know that I've decided to go to Atlanta and spend some time with Sam."

"Is that so?"

"It's been a couple of years since I've been any farther than Dover's Mill, and I think now's the time to test the waters, so to speak, to see if I still have the same problems dealing with the enormous influx of thoughts and emotions I usually get from being around huge crowds of people." This is only a half lie, Elizabeth told herself. Maybe her aunt wouldn't see past the pretense.

"I suppose you'll be bringing that wolf of yours by here for me to take care of."

"I thought O'Grady could take care of him. Mac and O'Grady are old friends."

"Bring Mac by here on your way out of town and I'll see that O'Grady picks him up. And leave whatever instructions O'Grady will need to keep things running smoothly in the greenhouses until you return."

Elizabeth sighed. "Thanks, Aunt Margaret. I'm not sure how long I'll be gone."

"I suppose you'll be gone until you're either arrested for aiding and abetting a criminal or until you've helped the man prove himself innocent."

Why had she ever thought she could get away with lying to Aunt Margaret? The woman's psychic abilities were as keen as they'd ever been. No one kept secrets from Margaret McPhearson.

"He is innocent," Elizabeth said. "And he's out there all alone, with no one on his side."

"Be careful, Elizabeth. I feel great danger for you and for your man."

"Pray for us, Aunt Margaret. Please pray for us."

"I've been doing that since the night he came to you," Margaret told her niece.

"I love you."

"I love you, too, child."

After hanging up the phone, Elizabeth swallowed, wiped her eyes and said a brief prayer of her own. Aunt Margaret had understood. She wasn't so sure about Sam Dundee.

She dialed the Atlanta number and waited to be put through to Sam. Somehow she had to make him understand why she was going to follow Reece, and why it was imperative that he meet them in Newell.

"Elizabeth?" Sam's deep voice was brisk and a bit harsh. "Has Landry left?"

"He left almost thirty minutes ago. I let him take my Jeep."

"Thank God he's gone. You've done some crazy things in your life, but this has to be the craziest."

"Sam, I want you to listen to everything I have to say before you start screaming at me. Promise?" Elizabeth hated it when Sam made her feel like a naughty child. She supposed that came from his having had the responsibility of her guardianship for so many years. He couldn't stop acting like a big-brother protector.

"I don't like it already. What are you up to?"

"I'm going to follow Reece to Newell, and I'm going to have to-"

"The hell you are! Now listen to me, young lady, you are not to leave Sequana Falls. Do you hear me? I don't care what all your special powers tell you about Reece Landry. The man is an escaped murderer, and whether he's guilty or innocent, the police aren't going to take that into consideration if he tries to resist arrest when they catch up with him."

"I want you to meet me in Newell. Tomorrow. I'll call you in the morning and tell you where to meet us."

"Elizabeth, don't do this!"

"My mind is made up. I've already packed my bags, told Aunt Margaret and made plans for Mac to stay with O'Grady."

"If Landry took your Jeep, how do you plan on following him? You aren't taking that old delivery van you let O'Grady keep, are you?"

"O'Grady will need the van for deliveries and to make trips up the mountain to keep check on the greenhouses while I'm gone." Elizabeth sucked in a deep breath, calling forth all her courage to tell Sam about her chosen mode of transportation. "I'm taking your old Thunderbird."

"You're what?'' Sam bellowed.

"You can pick it up tomorrow when you fly into Newell. I promise I'll take good care of your baby."

"You are not going to take my '65 T-Bird down the mountain in weather like this. The roads will still be icy in spots. You could wreck the car and kill yourself."

"I'll call you in the morning and let you know where to meet Reece and me. In the meantime, do whatever you can from Atlanta to get the ball rolling. We're going to discover who really killed B. K. Stanton, and we've got to do it as quickly as possible. Reece can't stay on the run forever."

"Elizabeth, listen to me. Don't do this. It's crazy. You're asking for trouble. You're-"