The Hideaway: A Backwoods Justice Series novella

by Rena Marin

  “Dean, we need to stop a minute.”

  He doesn’t say anything. All he does is move past me to find a good spot for me to sit down. Once he has a place he feels comfortable, he comes back and scoops me up to carry me over. With a kiss to my forehead, he sets me on a large rock then kneels in front of me.

  “Let me check it.”

  I slap at his hand. “No, let it be. I can’t handle you tying that back up again. It hurts too much. It’ll be fine until you go get help.”

  His head whips up at me the moment the words leave my mouth.

  “Yeah, you heard me,” I tell him then smile. “I can’t do this. I’m need to hide somewhere while you go for help.”

  “I’m not leaving you.”

  “Trust me, I don’t want to be left. I also don’t want you out there in those woods, but I’m slowing you down. You could already be half-way off this mountain if it wasn’t for me. It’s our best shot. It’s our only shot.”

  “Baby, I can’t…”

  “Yes, you can. I know you want to protect me, Dean. This is the best way to do it. If you can get help up here quick enough, they won’t have time to do anything to me. I’ll stay quiet. They’ll never find me.”

  “I don’t like it. Why don’t you just let me carry you?”

  “If you try that, you can’t shoot, you’ll be slower, and eventually you’ll get too tired. It’s not the smart play. This is.”

  “Goddammit, Sis.”

  “I love you,” I whisper in hopes of calming him down. “And I trust you. I know you’ll get help.”

  His head nods slowly. I don’t care how dark it is, I know there’s indecision in his eyes. Dean is loyal. He’s been loyal to me before we became a couple. The idea of leaving me behind has never been a favorite of his. It was like that when I tagged along behind him and his friends when they would play football. He swore up and down I’d get hurt but leaving me out hurt him as much as it did me.

  “Okay, I’ll do it. I don’t want to leave you sitting here though. We’ve made too much noise. I need to scout a good spot. Will you be alright for a few minutes?”

  “Yeah, just hurry.”

  “Of course,” he chuckles then takes off at a light jog out of sight.

  I want to kick myself for suggesting this idea. I can’t help it though. If something were to happen to Dean because I was slowing him down, I would never forgive myself. If he can get off this mountain and get to safety, good. They’re after me anyway. They may not even fuck with him. At least I can hope that anyway.

  I hear his movement before I see him. He didn’t lie. He didn’t take long at all. I open my mouth to say something to him, but he holds his hand up to shh me before I can. He shakes his head no, then points at my stick. I grab it. In a smooth motion, he whips me into his arms and takes off again, this time moving faster than before and in the opposite direction.

  I’m not stupid. I don’t need to ask what happened. He saw one of them, or all of them. He knows we don’t have a chance in the direction we were going. I don’t need to hear the words to know that’s why he’s changed our course.

  It seems like we’ve went miles without a word. I know better though. The woods can throw you off. You don’t make as much ground out here as you do on the open road. I wish we could. I notice Dean is slowing a bit. I’m sure it has something to do with carrying my added weight around, his hunting bag, and a shotgun on his back.

  “Stay quiet,” he tells me as he carefully sets me down by a downed tree. I don’t get an opportunity to disobey. Instead, he takes off at a full run again and vanishes into the darkness.

  Alone again, I try to pay more attention to what’s happening around me. Since hurting my leg, I haven’t done the greatest job of that. I close my eyes and listen closely. To my right, I hear what sounds like a squirrel running. In front of me, a frog is being quite vocal. On the side where Dean ran, I hear nothing, absolutely nothing, which is terrifying. The man is good, but can he really be running in the woods without making the first sound. I always thought I was better at that than him.

  Just when I think something bad has had to happen, I hear him. The light, careful movements as he makes his way back to me. At least, I hope it’s him. He has to be close for me to make him out in the darkness.

  “It’s me,” he whispers as he comes closer. “I think I found a spot.”

  “Why did you go the other way? Were they out there?”

  “I’m not sure, but I thought I saw someone. I figured it was better to be safe than sorry,” he tells me as he scoops me up again. “There’s a few fallen trees over here. You can hide down between them. No one should be able to see you.”

  I cling to him as he hurries us over to the spot he’s chosen. I don’t even need to see it. If he thinks it’s safe, I know it is. There’s no way he’d leave me in harm’s way.

  Feeling him stop, I look up. He’s right. If I nestle in between the trees, I should be out of anyone’s line of sight. It may make finding me when he comes back harder, but I’ll take my chances at this point.

  “Just wiggle down in there.”

  I do as he says the second he sets me down. “Can you see me?”

  “No, this is good. You should be fine here,” he answers then leans over the trees. “Don’t move no matter what you hear. They may try to lure you out if they see me without you. Don’t fall for it. I’ll be fine, alright.”

  “Okay, just be careful.”

  “I’m always careful,” he teases then leans down to give me a kiss. “I love you, babe.”

  “I love you,” I tell him as he pulls himself back up to full height and instantly vanishes from my sight.

  I listen as he moves away. I can hear his footsteps on the leaves and underbrush as he moves. He’s not loud. I’m just trying so hard to make sure he gets away. It doesn’t last long, and I realize I’m all alone.

  Chapter Nine

  I hate how time seems to drag on when I’m afraid. I know it hasn’t been more than half an hour I’ve been laying here, but it feels like days. Still, in that amount of time, Dean should’ve made some sort of progress. He moves fast in the woods and is quick on his feet. Most likely he’s on the other side of the road now making his way down.

  Closing my eyes, I wonder how long I’ll have to lay here. I’ve yet to hear sirens even though the damn truck literally blew up. Did no one else on this mountain think that was something of concern? Is this smoke not bothering anyone else? Hell, the damn woods could be on fire for all I know.

  The smoke and summer heat are making me thirsty. My mouth feels completely parched and the sweat running down the small of my back is enough to remind me why people hate the South in the summer.

  I open my eyes again just as a branch breaks nearby. I’m not moving, but the sound makes me hold my breath just the same. I pray it’s just an animal. I would rather take my chances with a bear or some shit right now than these crazy men.

  “She’s out here somewhere. This is where he came from. That old bear trap fucked her up, Billy.”

  “Keep your mouth shut, Dale. If she is out here, she’s going to hear you. Uncle Joe won’t like that.”

  “Why we gotta listen to him anyway?”

  “He’s Uncle Cletus’s brother. He says it’s his right to get justice, and Granny told him to.”

  “Who cares what they want. All I care about is that pretty girl. Granny said we could play with her before she dies. That’ll be fun.”

  “Uncle Carl said he’d like to play with her too. The four of us could have our way with her before they take her back to Granny.”

  “Are they just going to let her boy get away? He’ll tell someone.”

  “Nah, he ain’t going nowhere. Uncle Joe is waiting on him. He knew they’d split up.”

  “Yeah, he said we could handle the girl. I mean, did you see her? She’s no bigger than nothing. How the hell did she kill Uncle Cletus anyway?”

  “Who knows. Tammy Lynn is bigger and meaner tha
n her. That’ll be funny if those two run up on one another out here.”

  Okay, the two dumbass hillbillies have just accidentally informed me of five different people being out here in the woods. Uncle Joe, Uncle Carl, Tammy Lynn, and the two of them. That means Dean is in danger. With as close as these two are to my hiding spot, I am too.

  The gun in my hand is the only protection I have. Unfortunately, I need to move in order to use it. Shit. It’s my only shot though. If I’m not ready, they can have me out of here before I get another chance.

  Slowly, and as quietly as I possibly can, I raise my hands. I hold the gun close to my chest so if they step over me, I can do what I need to do.

  “Did you hear something?”

  “Yeah, over there. What was that?”

  “I don’t know. I’ll check it out.”

  Fuck. I hear his footsteps as he’s getting closer. Unlike us, he isn’t hiding at all. He doesn’t care if someone hears him. He’s not scared for his life, but he should be.

  “There’s some trees down over here. That’s the only thing I see.”

  “Probably a squirrel or something fucking around.”

  “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

  I let out a small breath in relief to him changing his mind about checking my hiding spot when something snatches my already hurt ankle and starts trying to drag me free of my cover.

  “Did you really think I wouldn’t know you were there? I could hear you breathing, girly.”

  Instinctively I kick my feet. If he let’s go, I can crawl back between the trees and fire off a shot at him. Where I’m at now, there’s no hope of that. The wood is blocking any chance I’d have.

  “Let go,” I growl out as I level a kick with my good foot that I feel connect. The grunt he lets out makes me smirk.

  “Alright, bitch, enough playing,” the other voice calls out as I try to scoot back to safety.

  I feel a hand grab my hair. The other one is up top. He drags me, pulling me to where I can see his face. It’s the Molotov guy. Sorry, skinny. You drew the unlucky spot.

  I raise my hands and pull the trigger of my gun. The sound echoes in the hole I’m in but the effect is still the same. I see the hole in his forehead as the blood begins to drip out and onto my face. It’s weird. He looks so shocked. Did they really think I wouldn’t fight back?

  “Billy? Billy? Oh my God, Billy!”

  It takes a few seconds for him to finally fall. When he does, his partner in crime lets out with a full fledge wail that would break anyone’s heart. Then his anger sets in.

  “You killed him. You killed my cousin. You’re going to pay for this. Do you hear me, cunt, you’re going to hurt?”

  He doesn’t have to tell me twice. I know what’s going to happen to me. I knew it was coming the minute the man spoke to us from beside the truck. It’s the reason I wanted Dean off the mountain. It’s the reason I stayed behind. No one else I love is going to die at the hands of these people. I won’t let it happen.

  Through his cries, he awkwardly reaches for my feet again. I try to wiggle and keep him from snatching me, but I’m not agile enough with the bad foot. He latches on to it, grips down hard, and makes me scream out in pain.

  “You liked my bear trap, huh?” he goads me as he yanks again, pulling me down. One more good tug, and the night sky appears in my view seconds before his face does.

  Unlike the skinny one, this one is broad shouldered and obviously stronger. His hair is dark, and I can barely make out his face, but I can tell by the tone of his voice, he isn’t planning on letting me walk away after what I did.

  I lift the gun again, hoping to get lucky for a second time, but he’s too quick for me. He grabs my hand, throwing it up over my head and making me fire off into the tree. I look back at him just in time to see his fist come my way. The first punch I take pretty easy. It’s the second one that makes me see stars.

  “All we wanted to do was have a little fun with you before Granny got her way. That’s all. It’s something me and Billy like to do together. You know, getting girls drunk, fucking them real good in the woods, then leaving them to wonder what happened. It doesn’t hurt nobody.”

  My head lolls from side to side as he talks. I want to make comments, but my mouth isn’t working. He yanks the gun out of my hand, and I barely register it being pressed against my temple. Damn this dude is strong.

  “You got some big old tits there. I mean, I’ve seen bigger, but they’re nice. You ain’t wearing a bra either,” he chuckles as his hand runs over my shirt then grasps one of my breasts. He pinches my nipple then laughs lightly. “You’re gonna let me suck those nipples, ain’t ya, girly?”

  “Get off me,” I groan before the gun slams into my face.

  “Ain’t you, girly?”

  I open my mouth wanting to tell him to go fuck himself, but nothing comes out. Instead, I feel my shirt being pulled up. When his mouth latches on to me, my stomach churns, and it feels like I’m going to throw up.

  “You taste good. Billy would’ve liked you,” he tells me as his mouth finds me again and his hand runs down my side then crosses over to settle between my legs. “I can feel you through those shorts, girly. You’re going to like it when I fuck you. I promise.”

  The dizziness I feel is nothing compared to the grossness. I want him off me. I want him off me, now.

  “You’ve already got my dick hard.”

  Something inside my mind clicks. Yes, I’m hurting. Yes, I’m confused, but I have enough wits to me to realize what he just announced. He’s got a hard on. With that information, I let my hand, the one laying to my side, reach over and grab him by his privates.

  “Oh, yeah, get into it, girly.”

  “Fuck you,” I mumble as I squeeze with everything in me.

  His yelp is like music to my ears. I keep squeezing while he writhes in pain. When he pulls back from me far enough, I take my elbow and catch him in the mouth. He rolls to his side, freeing me from the confines of his weight. Seeing that the gun is still in his hand, I crawl toward the trees I’d been hiding under and snatch my makeshift walking stick.

  He’s already trying to get to his feet when I do. I don’t have much time. If I don’t act now, he’ll shoot me and be done with it. I take the stick and bring it down on the back of his head as hard as I can. It adles him, so I do it again, and again. When he falls to his back, I look back down at the package in his dirty jeans and decide to remind him why he shouldn’t force himself on women. With one good poke of my stick, he’s screaming into the night as I’m doing my best to relieve him of the burden manhood presents.

  “Stop, please, God stop.”

  Knowing he’s had just about all his little dick can handle, I drop the stick and hobble my way toward the hand holding the gun. I reach down, ready to take it when someone tackles me from the side. I immediately begin to struggle when my head is bounced off the ground making me go still again.

  “You’re mine now, bitch.”

  I look up and see a girl, maybe my age. She’s bigger than me by at least fifty pounds. Her dirty blonde hair is pulled in a ponytail, and she’s smiling at me with several missing teeth.

  “Now, it’s really time to hurt,” she laughs as she throws a punch of her own that makes everything go black.

  Chapter Ten

  I want to open my eyes but doing it is so hard. My face and head are pounding. The new pain has almost made me forget about my ankle and the damage from the bear trap. My luck, it’s another concussion. I suppose I should thank my lucky stars I’m still able to wake up.

  “I know you’re awake, bitch. Go ahead and look at me.”

  I ignore the irritating sound of the woman’s voice. I can feel her breath on my skin and know she’s right next to me. I may be in pain, but I’m still vindictive enough not to give her anything she wants. She can go straight to hell.

  “You’re going to listen to me, bitch.”

  I wiggle slightly and realize just how uncomfortable my
positioning is. My hands are over my head and bound by something. I move them to test whether I can. Yes, it’s possible. They are bound together but not attached to anything.

  “I’ll give you one more chance,” she continues.

  Her voice is raspy and deep. It’s completely unsettling. I saw a glimpse of her. She isn’t old, but her voice reminds me of an old woman for some reason. I’m sure the guys really love that about her.

  “Okay, if you’re going to ignore me, you’re going to be punished.”

  What the hell? Why is she talking to me like I’m some child? Are these people really that dumb? Do they think I’m going to behave the way they want me to?

  Just as I’m wondering what she means by punished, I hear the crack of a belt just as it connects with my stomach. I yelp and instantly bring my arms down to fight against the attack. She doesn’t care. The belt comes down again, getting both my stomach and my hands.

  “Stop, bitch!” I scream.

  “You like that, huh?” she cackles as the belt comes down again and connects with my legs. “You’re looking at me now, aren’t you?”

  I stare at her, wishing I could get my hands on her and fight back. I may not be able to go toe to toe with all these redneck bastards, but I believe given the chance, I could fuck this chic up.

  “Yeah, I’m fucking looking at you,” I spit at her.

  “Good. You owe us your attention. Remember, you took our uncle from us.”

  “Why are all of you so fucking upset about that redneck fuck? He lived up there, barely talked to anyone. It’s not like you shits had Sunday dinners together or something.”

  “Family is family,” she yells, leaning down in my face so close I can smell her stale, cigarette-ridden breath. “It doesn’t matter how much we talked to him; he was one of ours. You took him.”

  “He was a monster. He was killing people.”

  “They all deserved it,” a familiar voice says from beside us.

  The one named Dale steps into my line of sight, and I have to force myself not to ask him how his balls are doing. His movement though makes me take in my surroundings. I’m still in the woods, of course, but it’s in an area that seems more cleared out than any that I’ve been in so far on the mountain.