She looked over the car, hunting for something she could use to free her hands. The panic boiling inside her gut made it hard to focus, to think straight. The hammering of her heart against her chest built with every fleeting moment that she laid confined in the back seat.
A loud, muffled whimper sounded through the rag, followed by another scream. She rolled to her back and tried to strike the window with her shoes, but the taut rope kept her from doing so.
Sarah had no idea how to escape. She was helpless, and at the Creeper’s mercy, unable to do anything more than what she had already tried. All seemed lost.
Don’t give up. Keep fighting, she told herself, toeing the edge of letting go, and accepting whatever fate awaited her.
A noise sounded from outside of the car. Sarah stopped moving and trained her ear, listening to the muffled voices that lurked beyond the vehicle. She wondered if the chatter belonged to friendly strangers or if Valintino’s men had tracked them down.
Sarah craned her neck and peered through the opening between the two front seats, watching the driver’s-side window for any movement. She offered no other signs of her presence inside the car, remaining still and motionless.
A figure lurked near the windshield, staring inside the car. The grizzly bearded man pressed the tip of his large nose to the glass, then positioned the side of his hand above his brow. The sunglasses he wore covered a good portion of his unkempt face. Streaks of grime covered his plump cheeks. He pointed at Sarah, then looked to the other side of the car.
A loud knock sounded from the window behind Sarah. She tilted her head back and looked to the window. A long brown-haired woman stood on the other side, pointing and speaking to her through the glass.
Sarah pulled and tugged on her arms, shouting through the fabric that muffled her speech. She glanced out of the window near her feet for the Creeper.
The door handle behind her clicked.
Grizzly tested the driver’s side door, then moved to the back seat. He bent down and glanced at Sarah as his fat fingers burrowed into the depths of his wiry, black beard.
Sarah studied the side of the door, hunting for a switch to unlock the car. She moved her head around, but couldn’t locate one.
Grizzly lurked around the outside, speaking to her through the window. Sarah struggled to understand what he said. He pointed at Sarah and stood up. His hand balled into a fist. He knocked on the window, testing the glass.
The woman advanced on Grizzly from around the side of the sedan. She pushed his arm away from the window, then reached to the pack secured over his shoulders. The large man turned, giving her better access to the rucksack.
Sarah laid flat on her back, watching and wondering what they were up to. She assumed they had some plan or idea of how to get inside the car, though, she didn’t know if that was good or bad.
The woman pulled a flat bar out of the pack, then handed it to him. He grabbed it and moved to the driver’s-side door. She bent down and held up her finger, motioning to Sarah to stay put.
A knocking noise sounded from the driver’s door. The clatter echoed inside the car. Sarah shifted her gaze from the woman to the grizzly man, then back to her in search of Spencer coming up behind her.
The locks clicked.
The long-haired woman pulled the handle, opening the door at Sarah’s feet. She stood outside of the car, looking at the ropes that had Sarah bound. “Dear lord. Are you okay? How long have you been tied up in here?”
Sarah held out her arms and spoke through the gag while nodding at the knots.
Grizzly opened the driver’s-side door and leaned into the front seat. He reached for the ignition, feeling the empty space where the keys should be.
“The keys are missing,” he said in a huff. “I can try to hot-wire it real quick.”
“Just hold on for a minute.” The woman stretched across Sarah’s legs and pulled the rag from her mouth.
Sarah licked around her lips, then spit the tiny fibers from her mouth. “He’s inside the store and has been for the past few minutes. He took the keys with him. We don’t have much time. He could be back at any moment. Please get these ropes off me.”
Grizzly got out of the car, removed his rucksack, then tossed it to the passenger-side floorboard. He plopped down behind the steering wheel and reached under the column. “Screw this. I’m going to see if I can hot-wire the damn thing. Shouldn’t be that difficult to do.”
The woman examined the rope around Sarah’s wrists, then her ankles. She grabbed the knot at both places and pulled. “Just don’t mess up the car, all right? The last time you tried this you shorted something out.”
“You have to hurry. Please. He could be back any second,” Sarah said in a raised, unsteady voice.
“I can’t get it loose.” The woman let go of the rope and reached into the pocket of her coat. She pulled a switchblade from her pocket and sliced at the rope.
Sarah panted while the woman hacked at the thick strands of intertwined fibers. She glanced at Grizzly who had the side of his face pressed to the horn and his beard covering a portion of the steering wheel.
“I’m almost–”
A portion of Spencer’s body passed by the back window behind the woman, catching Sarah’s attention. “Behind you.”.
Spencer grabbed the woman by the scruff of her coat, and jerked her away from the back seat. The blade dropped from the woman’s hand to the floorboard. She screamed and swung her arms in every attempt to escape the Creeper’s clutches.
Grizzly stopped what he was doing, and launched out of the car to face Spencer.
Spencer punched the woman in the face, then threw her hard against the back end of the sedan. She hit with a loud thud, then dropped to the ground and out of Sarah’s sight.
Grizzly charged the Creeper. Both men collided and wrestled for the upper hand, throwing punches and grabbing each other by their clothes. Hard grunts and growls loomed from outside of the vehicle.
Sarah rolled toward the edge of the seat, and searched for the blade on the floorboard. She caught sight of the silver on the handle and stretched her arms out toward it. The rope kept her from reaching the weapon. She tugged harder, trying to free her hands, but couldn’t.
The door slammed shut at her feet.
Sarah flinched and looked at the window.
Grizzly’s backside smooshed the glass and moved from side to side. His body jolted, then doubled over. He pushed away from the car, speared Spencer in the gut, and drove him backward.
Both men fell to the ground, dropping below the bottom of the window. A hard thump hammered the side of the door near her feet. The top of Grizzly’s wiry, thick-black hair stuck above the bottom of the window, then vanished once more.
Sarah jerked her arms toward her, and pushed her legs away. The frayed rope where the woman had sliced gave a bit more. The pain increased with each hard thrash and tug. Her fingers tingled like needles being shoved into them. The skin around her wrists burned from the bite of the rope digging in. The injured parts of her body radiated agony.
Spencer stood up, and peered through the window. He placed both palms flat on the side of the car, then dipped his chin. A scowl formed on his face. A repeated thud punished the back driver’s-side door.
The frayed area of the rope gave, and the bottoms of her shoes hit the inside of the door, freeing Sarah from the confines of bondage. She reached to the floorboard, and retrieved the switchblade.
Sarah looked back to the door behind her head. She scooted across the seat, cringing in pain. Her bound hands reached for the door handle and her fingers tugged.
The door opened. She pushed it out, opening it wider.
Spencer knocked on the glass in front of her, then shook his finger.
The long-haired woman jumped on his back, knocking him against the vehicle. Her legs wrapped around his waist. She punched him, then clawed at his face with her fingernails.
Sarah wormed her way out of the back seat to the pavement.
She hit the ground on her shoulders, then pulled her legs from the sedan. Both slammed the concrete, causing her to clench her jaw.
The knot in the rope around her ankles loosened. She moved her legs in opposite directions. The motion increased the pain, but the bound rope loosened and fell to the ground.
The angered screams of the long-haired woman died off. Silence loomed from the far side of the car.
Sarah left the rope around her wrists and rolled to her stomach. The switchblade stayed clutched in her hand. She pressed her forearms against the pavement and pushed up, grunting and gnashing her teeth.
Spencer skirted the back end of the car as she got to her knees. “I’m so disappointed in you. Why can’t you just listen?”
Sarah struggled to get to her feet. She turned and slashed at the Creeper with the blade. The action caused Sarah to lose her balance and dump over to her side.
The edge of the switchblade sliced through the bottom of his shirt, but missed his flesh. Both hands raised in the air as he peered at the torn fabric, then down to her.
She laid on her side at his feet, still clutching the blade. Her face contorted in agony as she writhed on the ground.
Spencer bent down and yanked on the weapon. She refused to yield, holding onto it with a taut grip. He wrenched harder, removing the blade from her closed fist.
The side of Sarah’s head dropped to the ground. She breathed heavily through her nose. Both arms laid on the pavement in front of her.
“You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?” Spencer said, breathless. He towered over Sarah while studying the switchblade. “I wouldn’t count on your buddies on the other side helping you out anymore.”
Sarah took a deep breath, held it for a moment, then exhaled slowly. “I think they just wanted the car. I didn’t know them.”
Spencer lowered the blade back into the handle, then stowed the weapon in the front pocket of his pants. “No matter. They’re no longer any concern of ours.”
“Did you kill them?” Sarah asked, knowing the answer.
“I wouldn’t concern yourself with those two right now.” Spencer looked around the area, then back to his torn shirt. “You’re fortunate you didn’t cut me open.”
Sarah coughed, then tried to sit up. “I’m sorry I missed.”
“I imagine you are.” He bent over and grabbed Sarah by the bicep, then helped her off the pavement. Her face twisted in a scowl as she held her breath. She favored her injured leg and leaned against the side of the car. “You do realize that the more you move, the longer it’s going to take your body to get feeling better, right?”
Sarah tilted her head toward the ground and shrugged. “A bit of pain pales in comparison to being your prisoner. I’d gladly suffer more if it meant getting away from you.”
Spencer pursed his lips. He looked away for a moment, then rubbed his chin. He offered no witty comeback or idle threat like Sarah expected him to do.
He placed his hand on the top of her head and pushed her down into the back seat. Sarah sat on the outer edge of the seat. “I’m going to take care of those bodies on the other side of the car, and you’re going to stay right here in this back seat. If you so much as move a muscle, I’ll hobble you to the point you wish you had shut up and listened to me. Am I understood?”
Sarah peered into his wide eyes that brimmed with rage. His pursed lips and furrowed brow more than conveyed his message. “Yes. I understand.”
“Good.” Spencer grabbed the edge of the door, then motioned with his fingers for her to move. Sarah turned and lifted her legs into the car. She faced the passenger seat, and watched as he slammed the door shut.
Sarah leaned back, and placed her head against the headrest. She closed her eyes, and took deep, long breaths while palming the side of her leg.
Spencer grabbed the bodies, and dragged them past the front of the sedan and around the backside of the building. She caught a glimpse of Grizzly’s slumped over body and bloody face. The Creeper discarded the long-haired woman next, and emerged from the blind corner of the building rubbing the palms of his hands on the fronts of his pants.
He walked alongside the driver’s side of the sedan, stopped in front of the back seat door, bent down, then turned toward the driver’s seat.
A white-plastic bag flew inside the car, and landed in the passenger seat. He fished the keys from his pocket, and sat down behind the steering wheel.
The Creeper started the engine and adjusted the controls of the AC unit on the dash. He reached down to the floorboard, popped the trunk, then got back out of the vehicle.
Sarah gulped and peered through the window as he walked to the trunk of the car. The lid creaked open and lifted into the air. She turned in the seat, trying to see what he was up to.
A low, muffled noise sounded from the trunk. She could see his arms moving through the narrow opening between the lid and car.
Spencer moved to the passenger side of the car and wrenched the door open. He snapped his fingers, then nodded his head. “Come on. Get out.”
Sarah lowered her head and peered up at him. “No. Don’t put me in the trunk.”
“Get out of the car now, Sarah,” he said again, snapping his fingers. “Don’t make me ask you again.”
“Please don’t–”
Spencer huffed, grabbed her by the forearm, and jerked her out of the car.
Sarah screamed and pulled away from him, but she wasn’t strong enough to match his strength. She struck his arm with her fist, trying to break his grip.
The Creeper dragged Sarah from the back seat to the opened trunk. Her legs gave and feet dragged along the pavement. She whimpered and pleaded for him not to put her back there. He ignored her.
The black carpet of the trunk met her gaze.
Sarah continued to thrash her body and strike the Creeper’s forearm.
He scooped Sarah up, then dumped her body into the depths of the cargo hold. He reached for the lid of the trunk.
“Don’t leave me back here,” Sarah said from the flat of her back.
He held out his hand, then tossed a bottle of aspirin at her. The bottle hit her stomach, then rolled across the floor of the trunk.
“Take those. It should help with the pain. I’d get some rest if I was you. You’re going to be back here for a long while.”
Sarah reached for him as he slammed the lid closed, severing the light and casting her in complete darkness.
CHAPTER TWELVE
RUSSELL
The gravity of David’s unsettling words about Sarah being in trouble clung to Russell’s body like stones. His shoulders sagged, and his nails pressed to his lips—teeth biting at the dingy ends.
Clyde navigated the tumult of the city streets, steering clear of any hot spots that brimmed with riots or heavy traffic that blocked the roads. His head stayed on a swivel, watching for any danger while also keeping an eye on Russell’s frayed state.
“How you holding up over there?” he asked, checking both sides of Ricketts Street at the intersection they rolled up to.
Russell pointed out of the windshield. “Mandy’s apartment should be up here on the right side of the road.”
Clyde turned down the street, not pressing the question he asked any further.
The sky overhead grew darker with each passing second. The headlights of the Silverado turned on, shooting the bright white gleam from the front end of the vehicle to the road ahead.
Russell sighed and tapped his foot against the rubber floor mat. The repetitive sound built the closer they got to Mandy’s apartment. Russell removed the tip of his finger from his mouth. “Right here. Park next to the curb.”
Clyde pulled alongside the curb in front of the apartment building. He shifted into park and twisted the key in the ignition, shutting the engine off. He draped his forearm over the top of the steering wheel, and peered through the passenger-side window.
“Make sure you have your flashlight and piece on you,” Russell said, opening his do
or. “With the sun going down, it’s going to be even darker in the buildings.”
“Yeah. Okay,” Clyde replied.
Russell slid out of the cushioned passenger seat to the concrete. He slammed his door, then reached for the handle to the door where Max stood at the ready. Russell gave it a tug, and opened it, setting the German shepherd free.
Max leapt from the back seat and trotted about the sidewalk. His nose pointed down as he sniffed the trash and loose newspapers that blew past him.
Clyde skirted the front end of the truck. His light shone ahead of him, casting its dull beam at the staircase leading to the entrance of the building. He stepped up onto the sidewalk and approached Russell. “What’s her friend’s name again?”
“Mandy,” Russell said, with his head tilted back, and attention focused on the upper floors of the apartment complex. He thumbed the button of the flashlight clutched in his hand, and trained it at the entrance.
Clyde leaned on the back of his heels, and scoped out the street past Russell. He peered down the other stretch of sidewalk that seemed to have little activity going on. “Looks like we might’ve missed the fun. There’s a cop car and a few other vehicles that have seen better days, but that’s about it.”
Russell didn’t bother looking, keeping his gaze zoned in on the apartment building in front of them. “Come on.”
He walked to the base of the stairs, then climbed to the landing.
Max kept close to Russell’s heels.
Clyde flanked the canine as Russell tossed open the door and stepped inside the building.
“I wonder if the police have her apartment blocked off and sealed? Wouldn’t they be investigating it as a crime scene?” Clyde asked.
“It’s possible, but given how things are, I doubt they’re wasting any man power on it at the moment,” Russell answered, heading for the staircase. “Besides, I’m getting in there one way or another. A piece of yellow police tape isn’t going to keep me from looking around her apartment.”
Max trotted up the staircase next to Russell.
Survive The Fall | Book 5 | Fight Back Page 12