Free As the World Ends by Marian Lanouette Page A

some protein bars. Slowly he unwrapped two bars, handing her one while he bit into the other. After she ate her bar, she rested her head against his chest before closing her eyes. Asleep in minutes, Rob always envied that about her. Lauren could sleep on a rock if she was tired.
    The day’s events replayed in his mind as he listened to Lauren breathing. Its rhythm soothing him, it always did. Roan’s actions were bizarre. He wasn’t well prepared for his attack. It was obvious he was lying. What prompted him? The only explanation Rob could come up with raised his hackles. Lauren had to be the reason. As barbaric as it sounded, the guy seemed willing to kill me in order to capture my wife. Over my dead body.
    Rob couldn’t let go of the thought of Roan watching Lauren get undressed by the spring. In his opinion, that was reason enough to kill the son of a bitch.

CHAPTER TWELVE
    Roan regained consciousness around midnight. Sweat poured down his face, his body burning up with fever. It took total concentration for him to focus, to clear his mind. Earlier, he hadn’t been able to make it any further than the first fifty feet inside the cave. A stick he kept close to his body for protection against animals, doubled as a cane. It was heavy enough to support his weight. The first aid kit was his first priority, for that alone he needed to get back to his own cave. He had to survive so he could kill Rob. Even it was the last thing he did on this earth. Pushing off the ground, he started to stand, only to flop back down. The throbbing in his leg resembled a jackhammer at work. Short bursts of pain shot up his leg. Never one to handle pain well, he screamed so loud it echoed off the cave walls. Cathy always called him a baby and had made fun of him. Blood, especially his own made him light headed. This time he needed to push past it to stand. His life depended on it.
    “How do you purpose to do that, Roan?” His voiced bounced off the cave walls.
    With the stick in hand, he struggled as he pushed off the ground to a standing position. Sucking in his breath, he balanced his weight against the cave wall, huffing, unable to catch a full breath, he started to panic. With eyes closed he once again focused his mind on the task of breathing until it evened out, letting him breathe normally.
    “Okay, so far, so good.”
    It took him awhile, but he finally made it to the cave’s entrance and stepped into the darkness.
    “God damn it. I can’t start out in the dark. I’ll never make it.” Looking up into the sky he yelled, “Why me?”
    Shallow, labored breathing made it difficult for him to take a deep breath. The more he tried the less air he took in. A fit of coughing racked his body. The wound on his leg throbbed and started oozing a phlegmy like fluid tinged with green. It took all his willpower to concentrate so he didn’t pass out again. Trying to fight through the pain, he gritted his teeth, dragging his wounded leg behind him as he made it back to his original spot in the cave where he collapsed with exhaustion. Drenched with sweat and gulping for air, he looked around to make sure he was still alone. It’s sweat, he told himself as he swiped the tears from his eyes. It wasn’t supposed to turn out this way. For Christ sake, he planned and planned for this day, hitting the gym everyday to make sure to build up his strength and endurance. How could some city pretty boy outsmart and out strength him? Now if he didn’t pull it together, he would die in someone else’s cave alone. Closing his eyes, totally exhausted from his efforts, he fell asleep, only to be awoken a couple of hours later by footsteps.

    Rob’s mind wouldn’t quiet down. Sleep eluded him though he needed it desperately. His exhausted body required rest for their trek down the mountain tomorrow. For all his posturing in front of Lauren, his mind screamed, you shot a man. Not only did he shoot the man, he willfully left him to die. To die. Should he go