Step by step, we clawed upward. I tore fabric from my blouse to wrap Robert\u2019s leg, where blood seeped steadily. He gritted his teeth, never crying out, though I knew the pain must have been unbearable.<\/p>\n
Halfway up, my strength faltered. My palms slipped, and I nearly tumbled backward. Robert grabbed me, his own footing unstable, but his voice was steel. \u201cMargaret, you have to fight. Think of what they\u2019ve taken already. Don\u2019t let them take your life too.\u201d<\/p>\n
The thought of Daniel \u2014 my son who had just tried to murder me \u2014 burned hot in my chest. Rage steadied my grip. With a guttural cry, I forced myself upward, clawing at roots and jagged stone until, at last, we dragged ourselves over the lip of the ravine.<\/p>\n
We collapsed on the gravel shoulder of the road. The SUV was gone. The silence was deafening.<\/p>\n
Robert\u2019s breathing was shallow. \u201cWe need a plan,\u201d he rasped.<\/p>\n
I scanned the road. \u201cThe cabin. They\u2019ll go there. They\u2019ll assume we\u2019re dead, but we can\u2019t let them destroy everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
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