Dying to Run

by Cami Checketts

  “You come to me.” He backed out of the room and slammed the door.

  I curled onto the bed, shaking, tears wetting the grimy comforter. Damon would be back soon. What should I do? Carlos didn’t seem like the smartest option as he looked like he wanted to rape me himself, but he might be my only hope of evading Damon.

  Where in the world was Jesse? Would he really stay away to protect himself? I couldn’t believe that, but I could believe that Panetti or Ramirez was restraining him somehow. I hugged myself, praying that someone, anyone could help me, and not the kind of help Carlos was offering.

  Chapter Five

  The speed limits and time records Nana had broken driving to Idaho were impressive. Hopefully, she’d see Cassie soon and be able to brag about her feat as her girl always teased her about how slow she drove. She took the first Burley exit. The sun wasn’t up yet, but it was light enough to see for miles and you sure could up here: miles and miles of nothing but the stubble of hay, grain, and corn fields. How was she going to find some ranch stocked with child traffickers?

  She had no option but to keep searching. She drove down country road after country road, heading south and west alternately and praying she would find somebody who could help. After a few miles she saw a red pickup sitting off the side of the road. Two men sat inside, chewing on something. Workers stopped for a bite of breakfast?

  Nana pulled over, heaved herself from the leather softness of her Buick, and walked to the driver’s side window. The driver was scrawny and Hispanic, the other a big, bald, whitey. They were both filthy and eyed her like she was an undercooked chicken wing.

  “Sorry to interrupt your breakfast, boys. I’m looking for somebody and hoped you could help. You from around here?”

  The white kid hesitated then nodded. “Lived here all my life.”

  Nana felt a stirring in her abdomen and it wasn’t excitement that the boy knew this area. She should walk back to her car and drive away fast, but she couldn’t. She had to find Cassie. “Just the man I need. I’m looking for a large ranch that has recently been bought by someone from out of state. It would probably be a really big and really private place. The new owners don’t want anyone bothering them, I’m sure of that.”

  The darker man chuckled. “Then they sure don’t want Grammy bringing ’em some cookies.”

  Nana tried to smile. “Honey, everybody wants my cookies.”

  The white kid’s eyes narrowed. “Why do you want to find this place?”

  She had no reason to trust him, truthfully everything inside was saying not to trust him, but he knew something. Nana knew it, and she wasn’t going to get anywhere by beating around the bush. “The men who bought this place are slavers. They’ve kidnapped my granddaughter and will kill her if I don’t find her.”

  The two exchanged a look. The white one opened the glove box, pulled out a gun, and pointed it straight at Nana’s forehead.

  “It’s your lucky day,” he said. “Looks like you’re going to find her and die with her.”

  Chapter Six

  There was a soft tap at the door. I stood quickly, wiped off my tears, and stared at the wall. I didn’t have enough courage to face Damon again, especially without a shirt. The door opened and closed. My stomach plummeted, but I still tried to act tough, “Try and touch me again, loser, I’ll bite off something you might want to keep.”

  He didn’t say anything. I whirled around, ready for the battle.

  Jesse stood there, eyes focused on my face instead of my brassiere; that was a first for me today. The tattoos on his forearms distorted as his muscles clenched. He was ready to hurt someone. “Who . . . touched . . . you?” he whispered.

  “Oh, Jesse!” I launched myself at him. He opened his arms and I didn’t hesitate to wrap myself around him. He smelled like himself, musk and sunshine. I inhaled deeply, loving the pressure of his muscular form, this incredible sense that I was safe and right where I should be.

  “Who?” he asked again.

  “Later,” I murmured, aligning my lips with his.

  He sighed, softly brushing his lips over mine. I tingled from his touch, but needed more. Jesse moaned against my mouth, pulling me closer as the kiss intensified. I clung to him, not willing to ever be separated. Several minutes of happiness I didn’t know I’d ever experience again passed before he released my lips and stroked a hand down the side of my face. I flinched. Jesse pulled back to examine the red marks on my cheek, his sculpted face taut with anger. “No more stalling. Who hurt you and where is your shirt?”

  “It was a good stall, right?”

  Jesse gave me half a smile, his dark eyes conflicted with concern and fury. “Who?”

  “Damon,” I muttered. “He tried to . . . but luckily he didn’t . . .” I couldn’t even put it into words. And then there was the relief that Jesse was here, holding me, a tear slipped out before I could stop it.

  Jesse gently lifted the tear from my cheek and muttered, “I’ll kill him.” The look in his eyes told me he wasn’t being facetious.

  “Kiss me again first,” I begged.

  Jesse chuckled, shook his head, and complied, but it was just a short kiss before he simply held me in his arms. I didn’t mind too much, at least he’d come for me. Not wanting to interrupt the moment, but desperate to know, I asked, “Is my dad really coming here?”

  He shook his head. “No. Your dad planted a tracker on me. I found it and put it on a semi headed west. My dad’s guys are waiting to ambush Nathan in Pocatello, a hundred miles from where he actually is.”

  I exhaled, sending a quick prayer of gratitude up. “I’m so glad Ramirez didn’t kill you,” my voice cracked on the word “kill”.

  Jesse offered me a grim smile. “Ramirez may act tough, but my dad is still his partner and valuable to his operation. They’ll have to have better proof than how much I love you for Ramirez to kill me.”

  “L-love?” He’d said it so fast I wasn’t sure if I’d concocted the word in my own head.

  Jesse smiled, his dark eyes studying me like I was the best thing he’d ever seen. He entwined his fingers in my hair, pulling me to him and convincing me that I’d heard him correctly. My head spun from his kiss and proclamation of love. He wrapped his arm around my waist and led me to the door. “I’m going to find you a shirt.” He looked into my eyes as if by not checking out my chest he could keep me safe from the other gawkers. “I don’t want anyone else seeing you like this. Then I’ll get you somewhere safe.” His lips compressed. “And then I’m going to kill Damon.”

  I turned to stare at him. “You know I hate Damon as much as you do, but this vicious killing of people is not attractive.”

  Jesse smiled and squeezed my waist, offering no reassurance that he wouldn’t dismember Damon. I knew Damon deserved it; I just didn’t want Jesse to be the kind of man who could kill someone.

  Jesse knocked on the door. “Carlos. Let me out man, I’m done with the woman.”

  Carlos laughed through the wood, so close I could sense his bad breath. “I been listen. Think you need more time with woman.” His laughter became an annoying cackle.

  Jesse rolled his eyes and backed away from the door.

  “What does that mean?” I asked.

  “It means he’s not letting us out. Wish I knew if it was his idea or Ramirez’s.” Jesse gently moved me off to the side and then ran full on at the door. He slammed into it with his shoulder, bouncing back off and into the bed. The door shuddered but didn’t give. Jesse’s face registered pain but he didn’t so much as grunt.

  “Stop,” Carlos yelled.

  Jesse backed up and ran at the door again. I thought I heard a splintering at the impact. “It’s giving,” I cheered him on.

  “Stop,” Carlos commanded again. “Or I kill beauty! Don’t care if boss mad.”

  Jesse was getting ready for his third run, but stopped.

  I sighed with disappointment. “You think he’d really shoot me?”

  Jesse nodded gravely
.

  “So what do we do now?”

  Jesse shrugged. “We wait.” He pulled his cell phone from his pocket. “But not too long.”

  I jumped at the sight of his phone. “Call the police,” I almost yelled.

  Jesse placed a hand over my mouth, directing me away from the door. “Shh. I’ve got someone calling them.”

  I pulled away from his fingers. “Then we’ll be fine.”

  He shook his head. “You don’t understand. I planned this perfectly.” He arched an eyebrow. “Until you showed up.” His voice lowered, “The bomb will go off at exactly eight o’clock. The police should be here about eight-fifteen.”

  “The . . .” I would’ve screamed “bomb” but Jesse had his hand over my lips again.

  “Yes, bomb,” he whispered, pulling me close. “Just listen for a second, okay?” I nodded and he removed his hand from my lips. He tugged me over to the bed and sat down, pulling me into his arms. “I’ve been hoping for a chance like this for years. Ramirez, Damon, my father, almost everybody in the operation is here to ensure this huge shipment of slaves goes right. This is their test run to see if they can continue to pull this off throughout the states, flying all the people in, and then distributing through trucks and small aircraft. Plus, they plan on a little sideshow—Ramirez killing Nathan.”

  I gasped, even though I knew my dad was safe. “How in the world did you plant a bomb?”

  “Bombs. I got here last night. When my dad fell asleep, I snuck out and found dynamite and fuses in a toolshed. Nathan told me to try to find a way to take out the operation, but I don’t think he had any clue it would work this well.” He looked me over. “Well hopefully, if I can keep my beautiful girl safe.” He smiled. His tanned skin crinkled irresistibly at the corners of his eyes and mouth. I wished we weren’t waiting to be killed and I could just enjoy this irresistible man who claimed to love me. “The house is going to blow and I’ll have wiped out one of the largest trafficking operations in North and South America.”

  The attraction I’d felt seconds ago cooled. “You’re going to kill all these men, even your dad?”

  He shrugged, looking at the floor. I saw his hands tremble before he clenched them together. “You don’t know what they’re like, what he’s like, I have to do this, Cassidy.”

  I did know what Panetti was like, I’d watched him almost kill my own father, but he was still Jesse’s dad; that had to be horrible.

  He gestured towards the outside wall. “I can’t let all of those children be abused and sold, ripped from their families.”

  I couldn’t argue with that. The poor children and mothers stuffed into barns, cold and afraid of what was coming next. I shivered at the thought. “What about the slaves working in the house?”

  “I know one of them, I told him when to get out. He’ll warn the others and free everyone in the barns after the bomb detonates.”

  “Would one of them help us get out of here?” I gestured to the door.

  Jesse shook his head. “How would they know to come?”

  “Why don’t you just have the police come arrest Ramirez and your dad?”

  Jesse pulled away from me, pushing a hand through his mop of dark hair, the thick muscles in his biceps contracting under the tattoos. “Come on, Cassidy, did you not see how easily Damon got out of jail? Even if the police brought enough men to actually catch Ramirez and my dad, they’d never stay in jail.” He shook his head. “If you could only understand what they’re like. They either kidnapped or tricked all those people,” he pointed at the wall again, “into thinking they would have a better life. Then they started abusing them, breaking their spirits, and they’ll sell them like cattle.”

  My stomach churned.

  His eyes bore into me. “Think of the children, the young, innocent girls who will be . . .” He pressed his lips together as if he could protect me by not spelling it out. “I’m not leaving this to the hope that the police will get here, arrest everyone, and actually keep them locked up long enough to make a difference. No way. This ends tonight.”

  He had me again and he knew it. Ruin a young girl’s virtue? Hurt and sell human beings? Tear families apart? Awful. Evil like that had to be stopped, but one part of his plan seemed flawed to me. “But I thought you and my dad worked with the police, they can’t just let you walk away after killing all these men.”

  Elevating one shoulder, he winked as if to show how unworried he was, but the shadow in his eyes undermined the wink. “We try to work with the police and FBI, but they can’t condone something like this. By the time they figure out who set the bombs, I’ll be in Mexico again.”

  It was my turn to have my eyebrows arch and my hands tremble. “So you don’t ever plan on coming back from Mexico?” To see me? I wanted to add.

  “Not for a while.” He stood and started examining the room like I’d done. Within minutes he looked as frustrated as I felt. No windows, nothing to use as a weapon. It was hopeless.

  I watched him as he paced. This strong man who I thought was exactly what I’d been looking for. He was not only willing, but capable of killing his own father. He was itching to kill Damon. He was knowingly breaking the law and planning to hide in Mexico, possibly never to return as a law-abiding American citizen. Was this the same man I’d fallen for, or did I not know the real Jesse at all?

  “What time is it?” I asked, not trusting myself to discuss the murder of the traffickers and Jesse abandoning me.

  “7:30.”

  My stomach clenched. “So if we don’t get out of here?”

  He didn’t look at me, just kept examining the walls as if they held some clue to our deliverance. I jumped to my feet and reached into his pocket. Jesse wrapped his hand around mine, preventing me from grabbing his cell phone.

  “You have got to call the police!”

  He grabbed my shoulders, his hands warm on my cold flesh, and gestured towards the door. “Shh. It’s too late. They’re too far away. By the time they get here it will be over, besides . . .” He held his cell phone up. “I have no coverage. Do you really think Ramirez would let me have any kind of weapon or way to contact somebody?” He tossed his head in frustration and tried to smile at me at the same time; the result was a face-distorting grimace. “Don’t worry, Cassidy. I will get us out of here.”

  I didn’t dare ask him how. “Don’t you have some way to stop the detonation?”

  “I didn’t want to give myself an out in case I couldn’t clear the house in time.”

  My eyes widened. “You were willing to die to make sure Ramirez, Damon, and your dad all died?”

  He raised one shoulder.

  I jerked away from him, pacing the small room. “What about me?”

  Jesse interrupted my pacing. He lifted me off my feet, sat down on the bed, and held me on his lap. He kissed me with such intensity I clung to him so I wouldn’t black out.

  “I would never put you in danger. I didn’t know Damon was out of prison and had come after you.”

  I waved a hand. “Not me dying, I mean how did you think I would survive if you blew yourself up?”

  Jesse chuckled, tracing his finger down my cheek and across my lips. “I wasn’t planning on blowing myself up, but if I did you would be the one thing I would miss.”

  I kissed him, memorizing each movement of his lips. I was still mad at him, but we might be dead in half an hour. “I’m ticked at you,” I managed between kisses. “If we live through this I might not kiss you for days.”

  He groaned, his hands pulling me closer as they covered my back. “Think of another punishment, please.”

  I smiled before kissing him. Suddenly the kiss became more passionate than anything I’d experienced in my sheltered life. The anger Jesse felt at our captors, the worry over keeping me safe, and his desire for me all came through in his kiss and touch. His fingers on the bare skin of my back felt better than a professional massage. Jesse’s hands commanded as much attention as his mouth. I forgot all about dying
, I was already in heaven.

  Jesse’s fingertips worked their way around to my abdomen, inching dangerously upwards. We’d never been in a situation where we could go farther than kissing, and I was suddenly terrified of what might happen. I broke off the kiss, leaning away from him.

  Jesse stared at me like a hungry wolf. His eyes dissected each inch of my chest and abdomen. My Myrna Modest bra wasn’t sexy by anyone’s standards; Nana probably had its double on right now. And Nana would be the first to remind me that I didn’t have much of a chest to fill out the plain, white bra.

  But here Jesse sat looking at me like I was delectable. I didn’t know what to say or do. Half of me wanted to cover up and run while the other half wanted to throw myself at him. But if we were really going to die, I didn’t want to ruin a lifetime of being virtuous before I tried to get into heaven.

  “C’mere,” he whispered.

  I stared at him. The fire in his eyes was cooling. But could I trust either of us to stay in control? He gently pulled me to him, careful not to touch anything he shouldn’t. He tucked me into his chest and rested his head on top of mine. His breathing was ragged as he whispered, “You’re beautiful.”

  I curled into him, afraid if either of us moved we’d set off the fire that had almost gotten out of control. It was so amazing to me that he did think I was beautiful, that this man wanted me this much. How was I going to keep my virtue when I wanted him even more? I cleared my throat. “Um, you don’t happen to have an extra shirt in your back pocket?”

  “Sorry.”

  Obviously he hadn’t gotten the clue that I needed his shirt. I felt stupid asking, but I really needed to cover up. “Can I have your shirt?”

  His hands froze on my back. He said nothing.

  “Please?”

  “Uh, sure.”

  Why was he so uncomfortable? Men went without their shirts all the time. “Thanks,” I said. “You’ll look much better without your shirt on anyway.”

  Jesse closed his eyes and shook his head. “No, I won’t.”

  “Ha!” I placed my hand on his chest, feeling the bulging muscle underneath. “You are such a liar, everything about you is perfect.”