Excerpt of The Thief by V.R. Marks

"Run!" Arms pumping, legs churning, she cast off the high heels that completed her cobalt business suit and prayed it would be enough. All that was left of her life was in the stylish black leather backpack looped over her shoulders.

"Run!" Her lungs burned, the humid air dragged at her. She dug deep for a higher gear, sprinting for the safety of the house. Getting caught was worse than losing the data, possibly worse than death.

She heard him gaining on her, his feet slapping the pavement just a micro–second quicker than her own.

He caught her around the middle, stealing her breath as they crashed to the street.

Heart hammering, Allie Williams leaped out of the dream, clutching her midsection and fumbling with the light. With shaking hands, she reached for the glass of water on the nightstand.

Three times this week the nightmare had left her feeling trapped and helpless. She didn't need a dream analysis or psych evaluation to tell her what it signified.

They were closing in and she was out of options.

Out of friends.

Out of time.