He put a lot of emphasis on the right here. As if there was any way to forget.
‘Pervert,’ she said again.
He gave a small nod like she’d paid him the biggest compliment he’d had all year.
‘I suppose you’re going to take a video on your phone to show all your pervert buddies.’
He grinned at her. It was driving her crazy he had it all his way. She couldn’t even insult him.
‘Now there’s an idea.’ He stuck his hand in his pocket. ‘That’s the first sensible thing you’ve said.’
‘No!’ she shouted.
Faster than she would have believed possible his hand was clamped over her mouth. She tried to twist her head away. His fingers kept their grip, squeezing her cheeks tightly.
‘Shush.’ He dropped his hand slowly from her mouth, ready to clamp it back again if necessary. ‘That was my fault. But no more shouting, okay.’
She nodded glumly. The guy was big, strong and fast. What chance did she have?
‘At least turn around, give me some privacy.’
He glanced around the room, checking for potential weapons. There was nothing that wasn’t bolted to the wall apart from the trash can. It was a cheap plastic one. He kicked it into the corner farthest from her all the same. Then he stood in front of the door, back turned, arms folded across his chest. There might as well have been a stone statue blocking the way out.
‘I can still hear you though,’ he muttered under his breath.
‘Will you shut up,’ she hissed at him. ‘How do you ever expect me to go?’
‘Sorry. Not another peep.’ He made no attempt to hide the laughter in his voice.
She twisted around, slammed the toilet seat down loudly. Instead of sitting down she put her right foot up onto it, slipped the shoe off. It wasn’t much of a weapon even with the solid, chunky heel. It was all she had. If she hit the right spot it might daze him long enough for her to get away.
Shame she had no idea where the right spot was. She stood there staring at the back of his head, unsure where to hit him.
‘I don’t hear any tinkle, tinkle. Time’s running out.’
She took a quick stride forward, raised her arms above her head. Brought the shoe down with everything she had, all ideas about aiming going out the window. He heard something at the last second. Started to turn towards her, presented his face as a target. Much better. The heel caught him right on the point of his temple with a satisfying thud.
‘Ow! That hurt,’ he squealed.
She raised her arms to hit him again. He hadn’t so much as flinched, let alone staggered sideways away from the door or crumpled to his knees which is what she’d been hoping for.
She underestimated his speed again. His left hand shot up. Clamped her wrists in a vise-like grip, lifted her up on her toes.
‘Drop it.’
She dropped the shoe. It bounced on his head, fell to the floor.
‘Ow! That was harder than you hitting me.’
The smile was back on his lips. Suddenly she wanted to laugh along with him. Because he’d made his second mistake. Their bodies were pressed together from knee to hip. She smiled back at him. And that was her first mistake. She brought her knee up into his groin. But the smile had given her away. He was already twisting his lower body. Just not enough. She caught him a glancing blow in the balls. Not a full-on crushing blow like it should’ve been.
He grunted in pain. Collapsed backwards against the door. Completely blocking it, protecting himself with his hands. She stared at those hands, reckoned she’d hurt her foot more if she tried to kick him. And he’d grab her leg, up-end her.
She’d lost her chance. She stepped backwards, watched him as he got his face together through the pain. She hoped it hurt like hell.
‘Sorry about that,’ she said, mimicking his apology for knocking her unconscious.
He gave a small nod of acknowledgement.
‘Good for you.’
She heard the strain in his voice, took a childish pleasure from it. Trouble was, he still had all the cards. They were both quiet for a long time while he recovered. He tried standing straight. She was pleased to see a new wariness in his eyes as he did. Even so, as soon as he spoke, it was obvious he was back to his old self.
‘So, tell me, Sarah, what would you do now?’
She felt like a naughty schoolgirl standing there in front of him. It was ridiculous. He kidnapped her and stole her car and she was the one feeling guilty.
‘Well?’
She shrugged. Shook her head, stared at the dirty washroom floor. Feeling as if she was going to be sent to her room any minute now.
‘You want to drive fifteen hundred miles in the trunk of your own car? Jesus Christ, I’ve seen all the crap you keep in there. I thought men were supposed to be the messy ones.’
The dread inched up her throat at the mention of the trunk. Her hand went to her face, the urge to rub and rub almost overwhelming. She’d have no problem peeing now even if he stood and watched. Forcing her muscles to relax, she let her breathing slow, pushed it deeper into her constricted lungs.
She tried not to think about the implications of his words. Fifteen hundred miles. Where the hell were they going? Whatever had happened so far, it was only the beginning.
She looked up at him, into the righteous indignation in his eyes.
Screw that.
‘Stop talking to me like I’m the one who’s done something wrong.’ She shouted it at him, not giving a damn how much noise she made. He didn’t even try to quiet her down. ‘Treating me like I’m the one who should be punished for bad behavior. What are you going to do? Bend me over your knee and spank me?’
It was out before she knew it. If her hands hadn’t been tied, she’d have covered her mouth, tried to push the words back down her throat.
Where the hell did that come from?
He gave her a strange look, his piercing blue eyes drilling into hers, making her squirm uncomfortably in her skin. He shook his head angrily.
‘I haven’t got time for this, Sarah. If I don’t get where I’m going on time . . .’
His voice trailed away and she watched all the mocking amusement of a moment earlier drain from his face.
Then he marched her back to the car in the same way as before—arm around her shoulders, strong fingers digging into the flesh of her upper arm while he hugged her tightly into his body. The dark blue Ford Fusion sedan was still parked in the same spot. She wished now that she hadn’t attacked him in the washroom, had waited until now to make her move, tried to attract the driver’s attention.
Because something she couldn’t put her finger on sent a shiver across the back of her neck as if someone had walked over her grave, told her that the driver was watching them with more than a casual interest as they made their ungainly way towards her car.
She would later come to realize that making her unsuccessful bid for freedom in the washroom and, as a result, keeping away from that car, had been a very good decision.
Chapter 17
SARAH LAY BACK ON the seat without him telling her to. She didn’t know if he meant it when he threatened to put her in the trunk. His mood changed back and forth so quickly she couldn’t keep up. And it wasn’t only that. She didn’t want to see him watching her in the rearview mirror, didn’t want to make more eye contact than necessary.
But the silence was driving her insane. She had to say something, anything to stop all the thoughts going around and around in her head. Or at least think about something else. She closed her eyes, tried to think back to what she was doing before the nightmare started. That was almost worse, an unwelcome reminder of the state of flux her whole life was in.
Suddenly, she had to sit up, didn’t care what he said or did. An offensive odor was coming off the back-seat upholstery in great waves, so strong she could taste it on her tongue, a feeling of nausea building strength in her stomach. She’d be sick if she breathed it in for a second longer.
‘What? You mean all the other women you’ve kidnapped talk a lot?’
He let out a weary sigh.
‘I’m not kidnapping you. I told you that.’
A short laugh escaped her lips.
‘I’ve got to say, even though it’s my first time, it’s exactly like I imagined being kidnapped would be. You know, hands and legs tied, being taken who knows where against my will.’
She watched the back of his head as it slowly shook from side to side.
‘It’s not what you think.’
‘You don’t know what I think.’
‘Yeah, I do. You’re wondering if I’m a sexual predator out hunting my latest victim or am I a professional criminal and that makes you collateral damage, a loose end to be tied up later on. And you can’t decide which alternative is worse.’
What could she say? Her silence told him how right he was without her wasting her breath. She hated him for reading her so easily.
‘It isn’t either of those things,’ he said softly. ‘You don’t have to worry.’
You don’t have to worry.
She wanted to scream with frustration. She took a couple of deep breaths to try to calm down. It didn’t work. Like, has it ever? She felt lightheaded. Couldn’t get enough air.
She had to do something.
Anything.
She laced her fingers together. Swung her hands at the side of his head like a club.
‘Let me out of the car, you bastard,’ she screamed at him.
She was way too slow. Maybe he’d been watching in the mirror. He leaned almost casually to the side. Her arms crashed uselessly and painfully into the headrest, her clenched hands stopping abruptly in mid-air, a good six inches from his face.
‘Let me know when it’s safe to sit up straight again.’ She heard the laughter in his voice.
‘Bastard,’ she spat, threw herself backwards against the seat. There was no way she was lying down again. Their eyes met in the mirror. His were alive with the fun of it all. Because that’s all it was to him, one big game where he held all the cards and always won. She hoped he saw in hers even some small fraction of what she was feeling.
‘That wasn’t bad for a girl, you know. You’re getting faster. But you still need a lot of practice.’
She kept her eyes on her hands resting in her lap. Ignored him.
‘Hey, do me a favor, will you?’
She refused to look at him, wasn’t going to play his stupid game.
‘Where’s the lever opens the trunk? I can’t find it.’
‘Piss off.’
He howled with laughter.
‘I’m glad you think all this is so funny,’ she said sullenly. ‘Maybe we’ll try reversing the roles, see how funny you think it is then.’
He stopped laughing, caught her eye in the mirror. As if she’d made a serious suggestion.
‘Let me get this straight—you mean you tie me up?’
She nodded as if that sounded like a good idea to her, the best she’d heard in a long while.
‘Yeah, why not?’
He paused for a split second. She immediately knew she’d slipped up somehow, given him an easy shot. There was something coming and she was going to be on the losing end of it. Again. He was working hard to keep a smirk off his face.
‘Would that be before or after I bend you over my knee and spank you?’ He laughed again, but there was something else underneath it this time, something more urgent. ‘I’m starting to see a pattern here, Sarah. You surprise me, a married woman, dressed all prim and proper like you are.’
There was no controlling him now. He laughed so hard she was afraid he might lose control and swerve in front of an oncoming car.
‘You shouldn’t laugh so much at your own jokes, you know.’ She tried to keep the laughter that was rising up inside of her from erupting out. She was not going to laugh at his childish comments. Especially when they were at her expense. The thing is, there’s something infectious about laughter that won’t be denied.
All the pressures of the past hours, all the conflicting emotions that had buffeted her, were going to find a way to vent themselves one way or the other. Screaming at him sure as hell hadn’t done it. She tried to turn the first giggle into a cough. It was no use. She couldn’t contain it. Pretty soon she was laughing as hard as he was, harder even. She laughed until her stomach hurt, her whole body shaking, the tears rolling down her cheeks.
At least she thought it was laughter. Maybe it was fear. Whatever it was, she felt a whole lot better afterwards. She slumped down in the seat feeling totally drained, leaned her head back against the headrest, closed her eyes.
‘Feel better now?’
‘A bit,’ she admitted, grudgingly.
‘Good.’
‘Just one question.’
After all the laughter she was surprised he still had the breath to let out a sigh as big as he did.
‘Here we go again.’
‘What’s your name?’
That surprised him. She opened her eyes, caught him staring at her in the mirror. From the look in them, she was able to surprise him if nothing else.
‘Cole.’
‘Pleased to meet you, Cole.’
She let her head roll gently to the side, looked out the window.
She wanted to be sick.
FIVE MINUTES EARLIER, Cole had glanced in the side mirror. An adrenal spike of fear had stabbed him in the gut.
A police cruiser pulled out from three or four cars behind them. It was starting to pass—just as Sarah was getting antsy in the back seat. He had to keep her calm.
You don’t have to worry, he told her in a soft, soothing voice. She didn’t believe him, didn’t believe a word he said. It didn’t keep her calm either.
Let me out of the car, you bastard.
She’d screamed it at the top of her voice. It wasn’t a good start. Then it got worse.
What the—
Out of the corner of his eye he’d seen a flash of movement in the mirror as she swung her clenched fists at his head. A lifetime of instinct kicked in. He moved his head easily out of the way. She might as well have sent him a text, I’m about to try to hit you, she was so slow.
He glanced quickly down at the side mirror. The cruiser was still coming, moving slowly and steadily past the line of cars. Almost as if it were in slow motion, the cops taking a good, long, nosy look into each one as they went.
They couldn’t be looking for her. Her husband couldn’t have reported her missing already.
A few seconds more and they’d be alongside. He had to distract her. Do something, anything, to stop her looking out the window.
She wasn’t going to lie down again any time soon, not in the state she was in, screaming and cussing at him. He half expected her to take another swipe at his head. Maybe if he got her even more riled up, she’d throw herself back down and sulk. Women do that.
Where’s the lever opens the trunk? I can’t find it.
That sure got a reaction. Maybe not the one he was expecting.
Piss off.
It made him laugh, although another glance in the side mirror wiped the smile clean off his face. In his mind he saw her lifting her arms, showing them her bound wrists. Mouthing help me, please through the window. He imagined their startled faces, their frantic reactions as it suddenly registered what they were witnessing.
Then the wailing scream of a siren. Blinding flashing lights. A fender nudging him off the road, guns drawn in case he wanted to try his luck and outrun them. Dragging him out the car. Wrestling him to the ground. The cold metal of a gun barrel shoved hard in the back of his neck as they cuffed him.
And Sarah. Climbing out of the car, kicking him hard in the balls. Making a proper job of it this time while the cops prete
nded to pull her off. But not before she got a couple of good ones in.
A million thoughts racing through his mind. He couldn’t think of a single thing to say or do. And then she took it out of his hands:
Maybe we’ll try reversing the roles, see how funny you think it is.
Let me get this straight—you mean you tie me up?
Yeah, why not?
It made him think of things he didn’t have time for, but it gave him an idea and he knew then he was home free.
Would that be before or after I bend you over my knee and spank you?
And despite the damp triangle of sweat sticking his shirt to his back, the churning fear in his gut, the laughter wouldn’t stop. Maybe it was nerves. And even if it hadn’t all worked out and the cops had pulled them over, he’d have been rolling in the dirt, fighting to catch his breath, before they had a chance to knock him down.
But it did work out.
She tried so hard not to laugh, tried to pretend she was coughing. It was no good. All that fear and tension came flooding out. She laughed like she wasn’t ever going to stop.
And the police cruiser sailed right on by, the two officers watching and maybe smiling to themselves at the good-looking young couple breaking the monotony of a long road trip with a proper belly laugh. Saying to each other what an unexpected and pleasant surprise it made in their job to come across two people having such a good time together. Not shooting or stabbing each other or doing any of the other crap they had to deal with, day in, day out. And one of them would look across at his partner, say how it gives you back a bit of faith that there’s some good left in the world after all.
He was sorely tempted to give them a cheery wave, because he was the happiest man on earth at that moment.
Uh-oh, she’s seen them disappearing into the distance.
SARAH STARED IN DISMAY at the back of the police cruiser as it disappeared into the distance.
If she hadn’t been laughing so hard at Cole’s stupid comments, she would have seen it as it drove past. Waved her tied wrists at them, screamed help through the window, hit Cole again—anything to make them stop. And then this nightmare would have been over.
The Road To Deliverance Page 10
