Someone To Run To

Chapter 1

    "You're not leaving here, Gina. Even if you do happen to escape I will find you. I won't rest until you're dead. You'll never see it coming. It's a promise."

    Gina shuddered as she remembered his words. She knew he wasn't lying. Jack Keebler meant everything he ever said, but a part of her didn't care. She wasn't about to stay at his place any longer. She was sick and tired of being his personal punching bag and tired of being talked to like a shabby old dog. She was nothing but a possession. She knew she had to get away. She had to run away. She waited until the opportunity presented itself.

    She left the house one morning while he was gone to an important meeting. She fled right after a rainstorm when she knew she would be blanketed by the dense fog and darkness. She knew it wouldn't be easy for her to get away from the goon Jack hired to watch over her. He thought she knew nothing about it, but she had overheard their little deal. The goon was to keep a watch over her and kill her if she tried to get away. While the thought of it scared her a little, she had still made it. She had escaped.

It was two days ago she gained her freedom.

    Since then she had been on the road. She walked from place to place, hiding in the woods when a car passed during the night. During the day, she hitchhiked from town to town. She was walking away from the place she had called home for the past three months and she had no intention of going back. She realized she would miss everyone there except Jack. She liked the idea of having servants and chefs. There was something classy about it. It seemed like she was living a fairytale for a while. She never had to worry about the fact she burned everything she ever tried to cook or that she had never folded a piece of clothing in her life. All of her imperfections were hidden from Jack with the help of his housekeepers and kitchen staff. If only he had been a gentleman instead of a jerk her life would have been perfect.

    The dust from the highway lodged itself in her nose as the wind kicked up around her. The particles tickled her nostrils and she sneezed. She would catch her death of a cold if she had to be out in the weather much longer. She adjusted the beat-up old leather duffel the head housekeeper let her have. She didn't pack much inside except another few changes of clothes, some underthings, a wad of money she had taken from Jack's dresser, and some personal items: deodorant, perfume, and a journal her mother had given her for Christmas before she died. It was the only thing she had left of her family. Everyone was gone. She said goodbye to her mother and father, and her grandparents. Neither of her parents had any siblings nor did she. It was just her now. Jack and his employees had been her new family until he messed it up by beating her senselessly every chance he got.

    Now she was on the run from him and in fear of her life. He told her he would kill her if she escaped. He never went back on his word. It was one of the things that attracted her to him in the first place.

    Jack Keebler was handsome with his million-dollar smile and charming demeanor. His blue eyes were like orbs of light. She shook her head. As pretty as he was to look at, she wished she had never met him.

Gina sighed longingly. She had been walking now for what seemed like forever. The next town she came to, she was going to stop and rest. Her whole body was killing her, especially her feet. She glanced up ahead. There, among all the dust, was the first hopeful thing she had seen all morning. It was a green road sign. It read: Hidden Passes. According to the sign, the next town was just two miles. Two miles and she could finally rest again. At least for a little while. She immediately picked up the pace, hoping it might help her get there just a little bit faster.

    Rosa's Place was the first establishment she came to once she got into town. Her feet felt like they were going to break off, but she made it. Hidden Passes didn't seem to be any bigger than the last town she visited, which meant it was going to be easy to get around. That was a plus.

    The outside of the building was dingy, but it was completely different on the inside. She looked through the window to see the dull yellow color of the walls and the antique tables and chairs were stationed on a varnished wooden floor. It was clean and inviting. She took a deep breath and then went inside.

The smell of freshly brewed coffee filled the air. It was welcoming to her after two days and a night on the road. She had never been much of a traveler anyway.

    She picked out a table in the back and sat down. The waitress came over right away, a petite young woman with short blonde hair and bright, round, green eyes. She smiled warmly, a notepad in hand.

"Hello and welcome to Rosa's Place. I'm Amy. I'll be your server this afternoon. What can I get you?"

    Gina looked up at her. She didn't have the strength to smile. "Do you have any specials today?"

She didn't have a whole lot of money, so she couldn't afford anything but the cheapest meal, and small-town specials usually meant large helpings. As hungry as she was, whatever it happened to be would suffice.

    Amy smiled. "Of course we do. We have an open-faced roast beef platter, which I highly recommend, and a fish basket, which is a local favorite."

    She thought for a moment or at least pretended to. She didn't care what she got as long as it was edible. "Give me the open-faced roast beef platter."

    The waitress wrote down her order and gave another smile. "Anything to drink?"

"Soda, please."

    Amy tucked her notepad in her apron. "It should be ready soon." She frowned. "I haven't seen you around here before. Are you new?"

    "Yeah."

    "I figured. I saw your bag there in the chair." She was about to say something else when the smile on her face suddenly faded. Her whole demeanor changed from warm and kind to frigid in a matter of seconds.

    Gina wondered what had caused the sudden shift. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled. Could it be Jack? Curious, she followed Amy's gaze out the window. A long black limousine had just pulled into the parking lot. She frowned, confused as to the reason a car pulling in would change Amy's attitude so quickly. What was an expensive vehicle like that doing in a small town like this one anyway?

    "Oh no," Amy groaned finally. She had been standing there like a statue for several long seconds.

    "What's wrong?" Gina asked curiously. "Who is it? The town Mayor?" Her tone was a little more sarcastic than she'd meant it to be.

    "I wish," she answered with an agitated eye roll, "but instead it is the town pariah. His name is Alan Collins. He's rich and powerful...and dangerous. He lives in a mansion outside of town. He comes in here all the time."

    Gina gulped her nerves on high alert at the word 'dangerous'. "How dangerous?" she inquired. Dangerous as in Jack could have hired him? She silently started to panic.

    Amy sighed. "Like serial killer dangerous." She leaned down closer to Gina's ears. "Since you're new in town he will probably try to work his charm on you. He considers himself a lady's man, even though he's fifty. Don't fall for it. My sister did and she ended up dead in the lake outside of town. I'm convinced he's a serial killer. Every woman he takes to his big estate disappears and is never seen or heard from again."

    Gina shuddered. "Thanks for the warning."

    "You're welcome," she told her. "I'm going to go put your order in and try to gather my wits before I have to wait on him." She walked briskly away from the table.

    Gina turned her attention to the limo. A man dressed in a suit and tie was opening the passenger's side door. The man who stepped out of the car was also wearing a suit. It was grey and he was wearing a light blue dress shirt underneath. His face was expressionless and his hair was light. It looked mostly grey and white from where she was sitting, but there seemed to be a few strands of brown tucked in there as well. She had to admit he was a handsome man.

    She was trying not to stare as he and the man with him, whom she assumed was the chauffeur, came inside. Alan was tall and stocky and his driver as well. She could see how he might be considered dangerous. He looked like a force to be reckoned with. She tore her eyes away from him, not wanting to attract his attention. The last thing she needed was someone else to run from.

    She heard the screeching of chairs sliding across the floor. It was loud, so she knew it was close by. Discretely, she glanced in the direction she thought it had come from. Alan and his driver were sitting at the table right beside hers.

    "Crap," she muttered to herself.

    She looked up toward the counter helplessly. Amy was standing there watching her. Amy smiled sympathetically at her as she walked toward her with her drink in hand. She seemed to be the only waitress there, so she knew she would be the one who would wait on Alan too. She sat the glass down in front of Gina and then headed over to his table. Gina kept her ears wide open. If there were one hint things might go south for any reason, she was out of there.

    "Can I take your order?"

    Amy's voice was cold and apathetic, nothing like it had been when she was talking to her.

    Alan smiled at her. "Just as courteous as always," he said with a hint of sarcasm.

    Gina noticed right away he had a darling British accent. Amy seemed to leave this little detail out, not like it mattered. She listened to his order, paying heavy attention to the way he pronounced things. British accents had always fascinated her. She glanced his way. He was sitting adjacent to her, but she could easily see his face. Once Amy took the order and left the table, he smiled, but his gaze was not on her.

    "She's always pleasant," he told his driver.

    "She still blames you for her sister's murder, sir," the man said.

    "I didn't kill her, George. You know it. You were driving me around the day it happened and once we got home I didn't leave the house."

    "I know," he agreed.

    They laughed.

    From what Gina had overheard so far, Alan Collins didn't seem like a bad person. Maybe Amy had been wrong about him, misjudged him. He glanced her way and their eyes locked for a moment. He had caught her staring at him. Her heart dropped. He smiled and nodded, acknowledging her presence. She wanted to shy away and pretend she hadn't noticed, but she couldn't look away. There was something about the intensity in his eyes that pulled her in. Blushing slightly, she finally turned away. She hoped he would just ignore what happened, but he didn't. He came over to her table instead. She knew he was on his way when she heard the sound of the chair scooting on the floor again.

    "Is this seat taken?" he asked politely.

    Gina gazed up at him. His eyes were light and a hazel hue if she wasn't mistaken. Amy's words of warning darted through her mind and she broke eye contact. She didn't want to make him angry in case he was hired by her ex-boyfriend.

    "No."

    Alan picked up her bag and set it on the floor out of the way. He pulled out the chair and sat down in front of her, immediately extending his hand.

    "I'm Alan Collins. A pleasure to meet you, Ms.-"

    She reluctantly placed her hand inside his. "Turner. I'm Gina Turner. Pleased to meet you."

    He smiled. "I have to confess I don't hear anyone say that much anymore. Not in this town. Thank you, Gina. You've made my day."

    Amy was right, she thought wryly. He's a real charmer just like Jack. Warning bells began to go off in her head.

    "I'm glad."

    "You must be new here. Most women I talk to are searching for the exit by now."

    "I'm not most women. I am new. I just got into town today."

    "Ah, I see. It makes sense now. Where are you headed, Gina?"

    She swallowed nervously. Her name sounded like honey coming from his lips, but she would not be fooled. Why was he asking her that question? She was suddenly feeling very anxious. "I-I don't know really."

    Alan pressed his lips together. He thought for a moment before he spoke again. "You're a drifter. I see. Are you running from someone?"

    She turned to him sharply. "What? Why would you ask me such a thing?"

    Alan's eyes traveled down Gina's face and then to her chest. He had noticed it when he looked over at her from his table, the small red dot on her blouse. It must be right over my shoulder, he thought. It was what had prompted him to approach her. He had a trained eye, so it was not hard for him to see the smallest detail.

    "Because I think whoever you're running from has found you. The little red dot on your chest is from a laser g*n sight. You're being targeted."

    Gina's blood ran cold. She glanced down at her blouse. Sure enough, there was a red dot there. She gulped and grabbed the edges of the table tightly. It hadn't taken him nearly as long as she expected it to take.

    Jack had already found her.