Chapter 8
1055 Words
Gary"s hand shot out and grabbed me by the hair, pulling my face close to his.
“Ow …” I cried out between gasps to catch my breath.
Spat hit my face as he spoke through clenched teeth. “What did I say would happen if you tried to escape? Huh?”
He shook my head and I dared not say a word He was in control and I waited in despair for what was to come.
“We"re going to step through those bushes and walk back to the van as casual and quiet as can be. Now march.” Gary spun me around and gave me a push into the bushes. Resigned to my fate, I did as he said. My ankle was aching, but I was able to walk.
Bobby had driven the van up a dirt road that ran parallel to the open meadow. We reached the vehicle quickly and were heading down the highway in a matter of seconds.
“Try that again and I"ll pop you right there. You"re lucky no one at the gas station clued in to any of this or you"d all be dead, like I warned you.”
Gary threw a can of pop and a bag of chips at me. I finished them off in short order, only to keep up my strength. Great nourishment for a pregnant woman. Not that it mattered. This may well be my last meal.
Great nourishment for a pregnant woman. Not that it mattered. This may well be my last meal.“Isn"t that the road we go down to reach Uncle Pete"s cabin?” Bobby asked.
“Uh-huh. There"s the sign to Telegraph Creek.”
The van climbed up steep grades and dropped back down to valley bottoms. It was a rough ride on the gravel road, full of twists and turns on a washboard surface. My recent snack sat like a brick in my stomach and once again, I quelled the urge to vomit. Hang on, girl. Now isn"t the time.
Hang on, girl. Now isn"t the time.The further we travelled, the more apprehensive I became. Now that I"d tried to escape once, Gary would watch me closer than ever. For sure it would be over for me when my captors reached their uncle"s cabin. A check of my ankle showed nothing more than some bruising and there was a scrape on my wrist from the force of my fall on my watch. A plan began to hatch in my head. No way am I done yet. Soon, escape must be soon.
No way am I done yetSoon, escape must be soonGary mumbled to himself, leaned forward and pounded the dash. “Stop. “
Bobby stopped the van in the middle of the road. “What?”
“We"ve gone too far. That old bridge up ahead is miles past our turnoff. We"ll have to turn around and go back. Keep your eyes open for the turn. These damn logging roads all look the same at dusk.”
Bobby swung the van around and sped back in the direction we"d come from. Five minutes later, a popping noise sounded and the van veered to the right.
“Feels like a flat tire,” Bobby said, pulling the van over to the side of the road.
“No shit.” “You get the jack and tire iron and I"ll get the spare.” He told me to get out. I dragged my weary body out the side door and a cold wind hit me in the face. My jeans were still wet from my fall into the marsh. The cold air whipped them against my legs, chilling me instantly.
The front passenger side tire was flat all right. This was it. There wouldn"t be any more opportunities. As I stretched my legs, I walked in a circle deliberately limping.
Bobby came up beside me. “What"s wrong with your leg?”
“I stepped in a hole and fell. I think it"s a sprain.”
A s******c laugh came from Gary. “Serves you right for running,” he said.
Bingo! They bought it.
Bingo! They bought it.“I need a break, please,” I said, pulling my jacket collar up around my neck.
Gary glared at me and turned to Bobby. “Take her. I"ll remove the tire.”
I followed Bobby up a trail, accentuating my injury, until he pointed out a spot for me and turned his back. “Now, don"t you run on me, missy.”
“Run?” I spat out, with a snort. “With a sprained ankle? Besides it"s getting dark.” I squatted down, quickly scouting my surroundings. The path continued into the dense forest.
Gary cursed down by the van.
It"s now or never.
It"s now or never.“Hurry up! I need you,” Gary yelled.
“You done yet?” Bobby asked.
“No, not yet.”
I could hear metal hitting metal. Gary was having quite a temper tantrum. “Get down here. These lugs are stuck.”
“Hurry up, lady. Jesus! Gary"s real angry; you don"t wanna make him madder.” Bobby fidgeted.
“I"m sorry, you go down and help him. I"ll be right there.”
“What? I can"t leave you. Gary"ll kill me.” Bobby started pacing in front of me.
“What"re you doing up there?” Gary yelled.
“I"m not done yet, okay? It"s a pregnancy thing. I"m not going anywhere with a sprained ankle. Besides that, it"s getting dark.”
Gary"s yelling and swearing grew louder. Any minute he would come running into the bush after us.
“Okay. I"ll go down and help Gary. You come as soon as you"re done.” Bobby ran off down the path. “I"m coming, don"t have a s**t fit.”
I didn"t believe it. He actually left me alone? Go … now.
He actually left me alone? Go … now.Up like a shot, I bolted along the path in the other direction, securing my jeans as I ran. Bobby and Gary were yelling at each other, probably about me. My feet were moving faster than my body. There wasn"t much time to put distance between myself and my captors.
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