Page 95 of Secrets Along the Shore

TWELVE

June 9

12:31 a.m., Vukovar, Croatia

Elara’s heartslowed to a more normal rate for the first time since they’d made that daring and deadly escape from the Crna Ruka fortress. The sound of gunfire still rang in her ears, more the memory of it than the actual sound. She leaned against the wall by the door. With the exhaustion in her limbs, she relished the support at her back.

She took a deep breath. Her body hurt from the exertion. The warmth of blood on her head made her wince. It had stopped bleeding hours ago. Why did it have to start again? There was less blood this time than before, but the feeling of it made her nauseous. Head injuries were nothing to joke about. But hers had seemed minor.

Folding her hands, she bowed her head. “Thank you, Jesus.” He’d saved them a dozen times since they left the room Viktor locked them in. The most noticeable was the plane part landing on the SUV andnotcrushing them. It’d been terrifyingly close. But He had saved them.

“Are you okay, Momma?” Rian slid closer to her.

She kissed the top of his head, adjusting her bulky vest to reach him. His vest was almost too tight. He was big for his age. “I’m fine,” she whispered. Though she’d be better when they arrived in Australia.Doubt that they’d get there crept through her, but Tyler’s determination helped push it away.

God had sent a man determined not to fail. He could have quit when his team died, but he hadn’t. He worked harder to protect them and keep them safe. The pain on his face from watching Adam die had faded and hadn’t returned. Maybe he’d pushed it aside to focus, or had already gotten over it.

Part of Elara wanted to ask God why He’d let those good people die. But who was she to demand God’s reasons? He reigned over everything. Besides, it was fear controlling her. That same fear that almost made her go back inside that building.

She’d come so close to doing it. In her mind, she’d thought it was the best way to save Rian. How could they have been safer when Tyler kept exchanging gunfire with Viktor’s men? She or Rian could have gotten shot. But that had been the way out. They wereout.

She breathed a sigh of relief. Tyler had gotten them farther from Viktor’s place than she’d managed in Dubrovnik. And they were only a plane flight away from Australia. Tears blurred her vision. It’d been twelve years since she’d been in her home country and just as long away from Dad.

“I never should have left,” she whispered. If she hadn’t, her life would have been better, but then Rian wouldn’t exist. Her hold on him tightened. She wouldn’t let her sweet boy go now. God made a way out. He could make a way home. She just had to have faith. The thought brought her enough comfort to doze off for a little while.

She jerked awake when Rian shook her shoulder. “Momma! Momma!”

“What’s wrong?” She spoke a little louder than she should have. Tyler said to be quiet. In the dark, she struggled to make out Rian’s small form beside her. “What is it?”

Something knocked against the door.

“Someone’s trying to get in!”

“Shh. It’s just Tyler.” Elara quieted him as she pushed to her feet. Tyler had said he’d knock in a certain pattern so they’d know to open the door. She listened closely. Had she missed part of it?

Knock.

Thud!

She gasped at the sound of a shoulder colliding with the door. Her heart pounded in her chest. That wasn’t Tyler. He’d have knocked again, not tried to break the door down. She spun to Rian. “Go. Hide in the bathroom!” She scrambled for her backpack.

Rian ran into the small room and flicked on the light.

No. No. They had to keep the lights off! She hurried to the bathroom and stepped inside. Wait. Where was the knife Tyler had given her? She must have dropped it when she’d fallen asleep. Oh, why did she have to fall asleep?

She shut the door and flipped the lock. Her palm smacked the light switch off.

“Momma,” Rian whimpered.

She grabbed his shoulder and led him to the wall opposite the door. Sitting down on the dirty floor, she tucked herself into the corner. Her arms slid around Rian. No matter what happened, she had to protect him. Even if that meant going back to Viktor. But that was a last resort. Only if Tyler didn’t return soon.

A wave of panic built in her chest, and she prayed it’d go away. She’d panicked earlier and almost made a terrible mistake. Right now, she had to keep her head and remember that God was in control.

The back door cracked and groaned as someone shoved it open.

More tears fell down Elara’s face. She wiped them away with the back of her hand, but couldn’t steady the erratic beat of her heart.

“Znam da si ovdje.” A masculine voice warned that he knew they were in the building. The light in the storage room turned on, casting light under the bathroom door.