The Implosion

by Debra Kayn

  "Tonight."

  "Why are you keeping me from leaving?" She took two steps, praying her ankles wouldn't give out.

  "Because I don't want anyone to know I'm here." He walked to the door and threw the bone far away from the cabin.

  "I won't tell a soul."

  He grunted. She glared. There was no reason for him to think she was lying.

  "Are you trespassing?" She gazed around the rundown cabin. "Cause I doubt if anyone cares about this place."

  If she hadn't seen him here, she would believe the place was abandoned back in the early nineteen hundreds by a prospector, maybe a young couple settling after riding a wagon train over the Rocky Mountains. Even the bed, the hidey-hole for the meat, and lack of clothes and essentials gave the impression he went out of his way to make sure no one could tell someone stayed here.

  He left nothing out in plain sight, and there were cobwebs in every corner.

  "Are you hiding from someone?" she asked.

  "You talk too much."

  "It's a little hard just to sit here and let you kidnap me like a..." She blew out her breath, stopping herself from calling him a serial killer because the last thing she needed was to give him any ideas. "Can I leave tomorrow?"

  "I'll decide tomorrow." He continued to stand in the door with his back toward her.

  She sighed and sat back on the bed. Whether it was the clothes he wore or whatever happened to him when he'd left last night, some of the intensity coming from him had lessened toward her.

  He seemed preoccupied and spent a lot of time looking outside. She hoped he'd decide she wasn't worth kidnapping and let her go.

  But kidnappers never let the person captive go. She gulped. They always killed them.

  Checking out the pockets on his jeans, trying to keep her mind off the body underneath the material, she looked for any bulges that would indicate he carried a weapon. Maybe if he fell asleep, she could search him for something to help her get away.

  Her stomach growled. She pressed her hand to her middle.

  The man turned toward her. She raised her chin, ignoring how hungry she had become since watching him eat.

  She wasn't starving. Yet. The meat from whatever animal he had eaten and kept in the ground and not in a fridge only turned her stomach.

  Her stomach cramped in a different way. She bit her lip, needing to pee. There was nowhere inside the cabin to go, and she wasn't going in front of him.

  "I'm going outside." She stood, walked to the door, and slipped past him. "Alone."

  She looked over her shoulder. He hadn't moved to follow her.

  Hurrying away from the cabin, she found a cluster of underbrush out of view of the window and doorway and pushed down her jeans, squatting inches above the ground.

  Her legs cramped at the awkward position. She buried her face in her upturned knees, shook her ass when she finished, and hurriedly pulled up her jeans. Then, one step out from behind the bush, she stopped.

  The door to the cabin remained open, but he wasn't in sight. Adrenaline washed away all the soreness in her body.

  She ran.

  Away from the cabin.

  Away from the ATV.

  Away from him.

  Hope energized her. She wouldn't have to outrun him. All she had to do was hide and bide her time until she could get off the mountain.

  Running over the uneven, rocky ground, she headed toward the trail she'd used to get up the mountain. Crossing the barely worn path, she slid down the hillside on her ass, letting the small pebbles propel her downward.

  He'd look for her on the most likely path, assuming she'd retrace her steps. But, she'd lose him in the trees while keeping the trail in sight.

  Reaching a flat area, she plunged through the underbrush. Tree limbs whipped her body as she passed through, trying to slow her escape. Not to be discouraged, she pushed through the branches, the vines, the weeds, trying to entangle her in their webs.

  Swinging her leg over a rotted, fallen tree, she sank into the pillowy dust of the forest floor, sending up a cloud in her wake.

  Her chest pounded. Gasping for breath, she ignored the way her legs screamed for her to stop and rest. In her mind, there would be a perfect spot to catch her breath ahead of her. Somewhere hidden and safe. Somewhere she could think of where to take her next step.

  Everything around her was so loud. The twigs cracked under her feet with each step. The leaves brushed against her before snapping back into place. The grunts came from her every time she landed hard on her feet or twisted her ankle, trying to keep her balance on a slope that tried to break her.

  The rush of adrenaline, urging her on, dwindled the harder it was to catch her breath. A wall of trees blocked her path. She scrambled to the end and caught herself on the trunk, holding on. A twenty-foot rock cliff stopped her progress.

  Groaning, she looked left and right. Finally, she spotted a change in terrain fifty feet ahead of where the mountain jutted out before gently sloping down. Inching her way along the ridge, she grew more concerned. It looked steeper up close.

  She lowered herself to her butt and scooted forward, letting the heels of her sneakers stop her from sliding too fast and out of control. Bumping over the ground, she clenched her teeth every time the unforgiving rocks abused her ass.

  The ground underneath her gave way. She slid. Grabbing out with her hands, the blades of the bear grass littering the mountain ripped across her palms.

  Yelping, she came to a stop. Panting hard, she stared at her surroundings, amazed she'd made it farther and faster than if she would've walked.

  Pushing to her feet, she held her arms out wide and navigated off the slope. The ground wasn't flat but it was manageable. Thanks to her fast descent down the mountain, she slowed to a walk. If she were going to put as much distance as she could between her and the cabin, she'd need to go at a steady rate.

  A stitch grabbed hold under her ribs. She squeezed her side, trudging on. Every few minutes, she looked up and tried to get her bearings.

  She had no idea which direction she needed to travel to get back to Avery Falls. But, after spending last night tied to what that man called a bed, anywhere was better than back at the cabin.

  Goosebumps broke out on her overheated skin. She was lucky to be alive.

  She knew the dangers of being out in the mountains by herself. While she'd worried about getting hurt or getting lost, she never once thought she had to fear two-legged monsters.

  Stopping, she looked around. The overhead pine trees made it impossible to see how far she'd traveled. All she could do was continue. She'd stop once she got to a clearing and plan her next direction.

  As long as she traveled down and not up the mountain, she went in the right direction.

  More careful of each step, she heard a branch break ahead of her. She stopped, holding her breath. The tan rump of an elk moved, going away from her. She held still, giving the animal room to roam.

  Listening to every sound, she understood the animals usually moved in herds. She wouldn't want to get trampled when the gang of elk came running to catch up.

  A smaller movement to her left caught her attention. A baby elk tottered out from behind a bush, trying to catch up to its mom. She smiled, wishing she had her camera. While elk pictures were a dime a dozen, she loved capturing the gracefulness in which they moved. The mother/daughter bond, letting them traverse over the land, inbred in them from birth.

  She swallowed heavily, missing her mom. She and Amelia had lost her five years ago after a long battle with a rare blood cancer. Having been raised by a single mother, both she and her sister were close to their mom.

  Her father was never in the picture. Never missed. Never needed. Because her mom had done a great job raising her.

  Though Amelia claimed Grace's independence and lack of wanting to settle down on never having a father figure, she would argue differently. She had too much to do in life to put the time and effort into keeping a relationship.

/>   There were pictures to take, places to travel, and a whole world to understand before she concentrated on supporting a husband, raising babies, and calling one place home.

  That's why she liked living in Canyon Beach. Tourists came and went. Friendships were fleeting and special. Drama and commitment were for other people.

  She looked up into the sky. Yeah, she was over her current situation. She needed to get off the mountain and go home where there weren't naked mountain men kidnapping her.

  The elk disappeared out of sight. She waited several minutes and veered toward the right, away from the animals, not wanting to run into them again.

  Navigating over a fallen tree, she slid to the ground and plopped back, leaning against the trunk. Her legs killed her.

  While she always went out into the wild on her freelance jobs, she usually went in her Jeep or rented an ATV or boat. She had some comforts from home surrounding her. At night, she had a tent or a hotel room where she could rest. The last time she walked a significant distance was when she and Amelia signed up for a 5k charity run in honor of their mom and those who either passed away or battled cancer. Even then, the run/walk took place on flat pavement through the seaside town and ended at the beach on sand. The whole event had more to do with the conversations between the participants and bonding over a shared experience than an actual race.

  Pushing herself off the log, she walked toward her sister, her condo, her life. Someday, she would let herself fall apart when it hit her how close she had come to dying at the hands of a possible serial killer.

  Ten minutes later, she spotted a single worn path. She hurried along, picking up her pace, hoping it was a deer trail and not a grizzly bear or moose path.

  Jumping over a pile of elk pellets, she gained her second wind. Elk weren't known to attack and eat people.

  She kept a steady pace. Not running, but she'd put any speed-walker to shame. The more ground she gained, the lighter she felt.

  It was almost dizzying the closer she came to gaining her freedom. She was damn lucky to have escaped.

  A man like that could've killed her. There was no doubt in her mind he would've snapped her neck as easily as he had thrown her on the bed. The evilness was in his eyes.

  Hazel eyes were neither blue or green or brown. It was as if the human body couldn't decide on a color and left the decision up to those who had to view the eyes. While the person with hazel eyes had the added benefit of hiding their true feelings and emotions behind a muted color palette.

  That's how she felt when looking in the man's eyes. He hid his emotions well.

  She stumbled and fell to her knees. Pain spreading in her legs, she cried out, pushing to her feet. She forged forward, stifling her sobs.

  Her biggest fear wasn't dying on the unforgiving mountain. It was leaving Amelia.

  They were more than sisters. They were best friends. They were the only family each other had.

  Slugging through the thick underbrush, she gazed up. Her view of the sky blocked by a canopy of tamarack branches. She turned in a circle. With her assessment blocked by the thick stand of trees, she couldn't tell if she was going up or down.

  She groaned, planting her hands on her hips. "Stay calm. Take another look," she whispered.

  Her motivational speech only made the situation worse, as if she skirted on the edge of insanity. She should never have turned around. Now she couldn't tell what direction she'd come from.

  Looking at the ground, she tried to find any footprints that would clue her in on which way to go. But, the heavy foliage littering the ground had already returned to their natural, untrampled state.

  There wasn't a crushed leave or broken stick anywhere around her.

  Her heart pounded. A flash of fear trickled down her spine. It was as if someone had dropped her from the sky into the middle of the Bitterroot Mountains.

  She had no idea which way to go.

  She was lost.

  Movement startled her. The man from the cabin stepped out from behind a thick tree trunk. "Are you done?"

  Defeated, she wanted to cry. But she raised her chin. Lost in the forest was better than going back to that dreadful cabin with a man who was determined to keep her.

  "You can't stop me from walking out of here," she said.

  He looked off in the short distance. "Listen."

  She held her breath, trying to figure out what he heard.

  There was no sound but her heart thrumming. No whistles coming from the birds that were surely in the treetops. No wind, rustling the branches.

  Goosebumps sprang up, chilling her through the warmth of the day.

  "You probably don't hear it, but there's a bear about two hundred yards ahead of you in the direction you're headed," he said.

  He was lying. She glared. He only wanted her to seek him out for help. Help he wouldn't give her.

  "Suit yourself." He leaned against the trunk of the tree and hooked his thumbs in the front pockets of his jeans. "Go on." He hitched his chin in the direction he assumed she was going. "It's your life."

  She stormed off to his left, expecting him to grab her. When he made no move to stop her, she turned around and planted her hands on her hips. "Are you serious?"

  He shrugged. "Feel free to see if there's a bear yourself."

  "What a jerk," she muttered under her breath. Then, louder, she said, "Is that your plan? Kill me or let the bear do the job? What the hell did I ever do to you?"

  He turned and walked in the opposite direction. Not wanting to be left with the bear and no way to protect herself, she hurried after him, trying to keep up with his longer strides.

  It only took a hundred yards or so, and she had a stitch in her side and sweat rolling down her temples. She wasn't willingly going back to the cabin.

  As soon as he guided her out into a clearing and she could tell which direction she had to go and be able to see if there were any bears nearby, she'd head off on her own.

  He kept walking without looking behind him. She glared at his back. He wouldn't even know if a bear had decided to stalk them or made off with her, leaving him alone. The only thing it seemed like he was doing was paying attention to the ground.

  "God, you're an asshole," she muttered.

  Slugging after him, she barely cleared the downed tree in front of her when she spotted him stopping. She trudged the rest of the way and stayed behind him, recognizing an area she'd traversed before.

  The trees gave way to a clearing. She gazed over at the cliff that she'd skirted.

  "I'm not an asshole anymore." He continued walking.

  She gawked at his back. He couldn't possibly have heard her.

  Chapter Five

  Keenan walked through the backdoor of the Avery Falls Motorcycle Club clubhouse. The pungent aroma of too many men in a room filled him with a sense of familiarity.

  He gazed at the men, seeing those he'd relied on during his time in the Alpha Bio Project and instantly picking out those that were strangers to him.

  One man moved forward. The pressure in his chest eased at seeing Prez after so long.

  Seeing someone he thought of as a brother pushed him into an unfamiliar place. He swallowed hard. He had no idea where he belonged anymore now that he'd regained his memories.

  He lifted his chin, motioning for Prez to follow him to the meeting room. He needed to go where he was alone with his president.

  It was risky coming into town, and he depended on Trip telling him the truth last night that the handlers and controller were gone from Avery Falls. But the new members posed a threat. He had no idea how far up the controller's ass they were or what they'd do with the information of him returning.

  "Is it safe here?" He went over to the window and pulled the faded and stained curtain, making sure nobody could see inside the room.

  "The club will protect you." Prez shook his head slowly in disbelief. "I can't fucking believe you're here. You're alive. We thought you were dead."

  "There were
times I wish I'd died." He leaned forward and braced his hands on the chair. "Tell me what's happened over the last year."

  Prez sat at the end of the table, steepled his hands, and looked Keenan straight in the eyes. "You know Trip retired from the project. After that, you were switched. Speeder got involved with a woman—I'm not exactly sure what happened because they wiped his mind, but it appeared as if the project got involved with him and Laurel. Unlike with Trip, the controller kept Speeder in the project. In fact, we gained thirty-five new members while only losing eight over the last year. There are one hundred and twenty patched members now."

  "How?" He stroked his beard, needing more current information. "The eight members...how were they lost?"

  "They were switched."

  He wanted to know which members, but he had more pressing things to talk about. If those running the Alpha Bio Project were after him, he needed to leave immediately.

  "Then, there's a chance they're still alive."

  Prez leaned forward. "You're telling me you were switched and made it out alive?"

  "I'm here, aren't I?" His grip tightened on the chair. "I haven't had any drugs in my body since I was taken away from Avery Falls. I can still see and hear better than most people. I've tested myself daily and kept up on my training. My strength is enhanced. Even more so now that all I've done over the last year is physical work to keep myself alive."

  Prez lowered his hands. "Your memories?"

  He never wanted to discuss what he'd lived through. There were days he thought he'd die. Days he wanted to die.

  Recollections of who he was before joining the Alpha Bio Project had flashed over and over in his mind—whether he was awake or asleep.

  Little by little, he'd regained every memory. Even those he wanted to forget.

  The man he used to be was not the man he'd become through the project. The cold reality that he would've been more content never to have visited the past changed him. He couldn't forget. And, he struggled with accepting the changes.

  His new reality confirmed he deserved every beatdown, every shock therapy, every drug the project gave him. Even then, it would never be enough punishment in the eyes of society.