Spencer closed the trunk, and escorted her around the passenger side of the car toward the corner of the cabin. He stayed a few paces behind her.
The crunching of gravel under his boots filled Sarah’s ears. The thumping of her heart built the closer they got to the blind corner. The light from the flashlight washed over the aged-wooden logs of the home, then to the covered porch.
Sarah stepped up onto the wooden planks that creaked from the added weight, and continued across with Spencer behind her. She peered inside the window to the darkness beyond the grime caked on the glass and the thin curtains, but she couldn’t make anything out.
“I think you’ll enjoy your time here,” Spencer said. “I tried to make it as homey as I could for you. First, though, we’ll need to get you situated in your room and dress that leg.”
The front door of the creepy cabin came into view. Sarah shuddered at the thought of going inside. The pounding of her heart increased and wouldn’t let up.
Spencer grabbed the back of her bicep and tugged, stopping her shy of the entrance. He skirted past Sarah, and reached above the door, feeling the narrow trim of the jamb.
A pair of keys dropped to the porch near his boots. Spencer bent down and grabbed them from the narrow opening between the planks. He stood up, thumbed through the three keys, then slipped the middle one into the doorknob.
“The good thing about this place is that I also have a generator that runs off of solar energy,” Spencer said, unlocking the door. He pulled the key out, then unlocked the deadbolt above it. “I’ve wired a number of panels to the generator to make sure power isn’t an issue, so we should be good to go.”
Sarah stood a foot or so away, watching and listening. Her body quaked with fear from the click of each lock. She couldn’t help but consider making a break for it, but where would she go, and more importantly, what would the Creeper do to her for yet another show of defiance?
The door creaked open.
Spencer pushed it out of the way and stepped inside. He flipped the switch near the door, turning on the lights. “Home sweet home.”
Sarah lurked just beyond the doorway. She craned her neck and peered inside the large, cavernous dwelling. A musty smell escaped the cabin. Her nose scrunched in disgust.
“Come inside,” Spencer said, turning toward her and holding out his hand. “Yeah. It has a bit of an odor to it. Always has. I’ve been trying to figure out the cause, but I’ve chalked it up to it being old and all.”
Sarah limped over the threshold into the entryway. She grimaced with each step while taking in the drab furnishings that looked as though it was pulled from the seventies.
Spencer grabbed the edge of the door and waved his hand, motioning for her to move. She stepped to the side. He closed the door, then locked the doorknob and deadbolt. He secured the thick, rounded steel beams mounted to the bottom and top of the door.
The trembling of Sarah’s frame grew harder for her to control. Listening to the locks and beams click into place made her feel like a prisoner with no means of escaping.
Spencer touched the small of her back.
Sarah jumped and gasped.
He pointed to the openness of the living room. “The kitchen is toward the back there. I’ve got the pantry stocked full with a variety of veggies and other food. The hallway leads to the bedrooms and bathroom. I’ve got a TV here, and a binder full of movies we can watch when you’re feeling up to it. First things first, though, we need to tend those wounds, and get you some rest. I’ll cook you a good proper meal in the morning. Build that strength back up. I can grab you a bit of food now if you want.”
Sarah’s skin crawled from the Creeper being so close. She ignored his offer for food. She just wanted him away from her.
“Okay, then.” Spencer moved his hand from the small of her back to her shoulder. He gave Sarah a tight squeeze, then pointed at the hallway. “Come on. Let’s get you settled for the night.”
The fear gripping Sarah planted her feet to the wooden floor. She didn’t want to move any farther, much less go to a bedroom that had God knows what waiting for her.
“You’ve been good. Let’s not ruin that now,” Spencer whispered into her ear, then kissed the side of her head.
The feel of his lips pressed to her head sent Sarah over the edge. She glanced to the piece tucked in the waistband of his jeans. Her elbow rammed into his side, ripping a huff from his mouth.
Sarah reached for the pistol, and turned toward the door in one fluid motion. Her fingers grazed the grip, but couldn’t take hold. She lurched at the door and snatched at the beam at the top.
Spencer grabbed Sarah by the waist, spun her around, then scooped her up. He tossed her over his shoulder with ease, and stormed across the living room toward the hallway. Each step hammered the planks of wood, signaling his anger and displeasure at her continual disobedience.
“Please, just let go,” Sarah said, whimpering and reaching for the sides of the walls that they passed through. Her fingers grabbed the edges, but she couldn’t hold on. She thrashed and hammered his back with her fists.
The Creeper adjusted Sarah’s bulk on his shoulder, stomping past the closed doors on both sides of the hallway. He continued through the darkness and stopped. He pushed open the door in front of him. The doorknob smacked the wall with a thump. He flicked on the light.
Sarah grabbed the small lip of the jamb and held firm.
Spencer jerked her away and walked inside. He tossed her onto the firm mattress.
Sarah hit on the side of her wound and wailed in agony. Tears flooded her eyes, blurring her vision. She rolled over and faced the angered Creeper.
“You are going to learn to stop disobeying me,” Spencer said, sounding more beast than man. “I have told you repeatedly that I don’t want to resort to such tactics, but you are leaving me with little choice in the matter.”
“Just let me go,” Sarah shot back, palming her side. “I’m never going to submit. It won’t happen.”
“We’ll see about that.” Spencer bent down toward the headboard, and grabbed something near the floor. It clattered off the wood as he stood up. “If you want to be treated like a wild animal that needs to be taught their place, then so be it.”
Sarah scooted back on the bed as Spencer reached for her arm. He grabbed her wrist and wrenched Sarah closer. She pulled against him while looking at the restraint he clutched in his hand.
Spencer slipped the worn leather strap over her hand and buckled it into place. He skirted around the end of the bed as Sarah worked to undo the strap. The Creeper huffed and puffed with every thump his boots made.
Her hands trembled, making it harder to grip the leather strap. She panted, peering across the bed at the scowl on his face.
Spencer leaned on the mattress and stretched his arm across Sarah’s body. His fingers pinched the back of her arm and pulled.
Sarah fought against his taut grip and the surge of pain from the hold, but wasn’t strong enough in her current condition to overpower the raging man. She jerked her limb as he retrieved the other restraint from the floor.
The Creeper forced the strap over her hand and tightened it, leaving little room for Sarah to move her arms. He took a deep breath, stepped away from the bed, and stormed across the floor to the doorway.
She continued tugging at the straps, trying to force her tiny hands through the opening, but they wouldn’t fit. Sarah arched her back and screamed at the top of her lungs. “Somebody help me.”
“You’re wasting your breath,” Spencer said. “I’ll be back in a moment.”
He slammed the door behind him, leaving Sarah sprawled out on the bed, helpless and at the mercy of the deranged psychopath and whatever he had in store for her.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
SARAH
The leather of the restraints rubbed her flesh with each jerk and yank of her arms, causing the skin around the wrists to ache and sting. The pain paled in comparison to what she feared the Cree
per would do to her now.
Sarah laid on her back, sprawled out on the mattress, peering around the smelly confines of the bedroom Spencer had dumped her in. Each breath felt labored. Her chest heaved. Sarah gulped and fought to rein in her panicked state, but found that easier said than done.
Footfalls from outside the room headed her way. The Creeper was on the move. Sarah feared she had finally crossed the line of no return and that now he would unleash some diabolical plan to punish her in the worst way.
The doorknob jiggled, then twisted.
Sarah gasped and remained still, looking at the door with her mouth open. Her heart raced, beating faster and harder than it ever had.
The door opened.
Spencer’s large frame lurked in the hallway. He carried something in both hands, but Sarah struggled to make out what he had.
Sarah blinked, but kept her eyesight focused on the Creeper and more so, his hands. A white box with red lettering hung from his one hand. In the other, he carried a similar size gray case. A wave of fright washed over her. She lay still on the bed, barely keeping from whimpering.
Spencer stepped over the threshold and made his way to the side of the bedroom. His furrowed brow and pursed lips had lessened, but he still looked on edge. He offered no smile or any other gesture to signal that he had forgiven her.
“What are you going to do to me?” Sarah asked shakily.
“Exactly what I said I would do,” Spencer replied, setting down both cases on the wide nightstand next to the bed.
Sarah gulped again, then peered at the doom he placed on the nightstand’s top. She lifted her head from the bed and craned her neck, studying the white case. A red cross painted on the front caught her eye.
Spencer opened the lids to both cases and perused the contents. He shuffled through the medical items in the first aid kit, then looked her way. “I’ll be right back.”
He turned and left the room.
Clatters and bangs came from whatever the Creeper was doing beyond the wall to the room. She sat up a bit more and tried to see inside the opened cases. Gauze, medical tape, and the rounded bottom portion of stainless-steel scissors resided in the first aid kit.
The hallway floor creaked.
Spencer materialized around the jamb, carrying a rounded bowl and the plastic sack from the store they had stopped at. He had a towel wedged under his arm as he advanced on the nightstand. “We’ll need to wash off that wound with some water. Make sure it’s clean and all.”
Water sloshed inside the bowl as he sat it down next to the cases. He placed the sack to the side of the first aid kit, then removed the towel from under his arm.
Sarah watched his every move with wide eyes. She avoided pulling on the straps and lay still on the mattress.
Spencer dug inside the sack and pulled a bottle of water out. He screwed the cap off and brought the open end to her lips. “Here. Let’s get you a good drink, shall we?”
The plastic end pressed to her lips. Sarah lifted her head up some and gulped the room temperature water.
“That’s good.” Spencer allowed Sarah to get her fill before she laid back.
Sarah licked the wetness from her lips, savoring the water.
Spencer screwed the cap on, and sat it on the nightstand. He turned away and walked to the accordion doors, then rubbed his chin. He walked toward the wooden slats, grabbed the rounded knob, and pulled a section of it back. His head moved from side to side before he reached into the closet and grabbed a folding snack tray.
“Guess this will do.” He pulled the light-brown table out, unfolded it, then placed it next to the bed. “I’m sorry about losing my temper before.”
Sarah shifted her weight on the bed as he grabbed the bowl and placed it on the table. She had to think of a different approach to the situation, seeing as flailing about and screaming only got her further in trouble. “It’s okay. I shouldn’t have hit you. I’m tired, in pain, and hungry, and it’s making me on edge.”
Spencer set the towel next to the bowl of water, then grabbed some gauze and other items from the first aid kit. “No, you shouldn’t have, but I do understand. This is a big change for you, and something that might take a bit of adjustment to get used to. I need to be more patient. Afterall, isn’t that what a good partner does?”
Sarah cringed at the words, but hid the utter disdain under an emotionless expression and bowed her head instead. “It is.”
“Let’s take a look at your side first, shall we?” Spencer rubbed his hands together, then pulled the bandage off.
The adhesive clung to her flesh, but released. The gauze in the middle was soaked through with blood. He set it on the table near the bowl.
Sarah studied the mangled, red flesh around the wound. It didn’t look as bad as she thought it would, all things considered. She’d never seen an actual gunshot wound before, but figured this wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been since it caught the outside of her side.
“How is the pain?” Spencer asked, reaching inside the bowl. “Have those pain pills helped in managing any discomfort you may have?”
Sarah nodded. “They have some. It still throbs and aches along with other parts of my body, but it’s manageable. My legs are sore as well.”
Spencer lifted a light-blue rag from the water, then rung it out. Water splashed inside the bowl. He unfolded the washcloth and dabbed at the skin around the wound. “That’s good. I’m glad it’s not unbearable. I have some stronger meds you can take, but we’ll need to wait for a bit, so we’re not mixing it with the others that you’ve already taken. We can do that in the morning after you get some food in your system. Wouldn’t want to make you sick. They can weigh heavy on your stomach.”
The warm water from the rag brushed along her skin. The pressure from his fingers dabbing and wiping around the wound made her grimace and purse her lips. “That would be appreciated.”
“I’m not hurting you too much, am I?” Spencer looked up at her.
“It’s not bad.” Sarah shook her head. “It’s bound to hurt some.”
“I’ll be as gentle as I can. I don’t want to cause you any more discomfort.” Spencer dunked the rag into the bowl, then grabbed the towel. He gently patted around the wound, then placed it back on the tray. “I’m going to roll you over to check your back.”
Sarah nodded.
Spencer rolled Sarah over, then looked at her back. He removed the other bandage and probed around the damaged skin with his fingers. “Yeah. Not looking too bad.”
“Are you going to dose it with alcohol or anything?” Sarah asked, cringing from the thought.
“No. I’m just going to clean it up with some water and apply some antibiotic cream to it,” Spencer replied. “We want the wound to heal as quick as possible and tossing alcohol or peroxide on it can do further damage and slow the healing.”
Sarah breathed a sigh of relief.
Spencer grabbed the rag, rung it out, and cleaned the wound and around it. “Stay on your side for a moment.”
The awkward position she laid in tugged and contorted her arms. The chains snapped taut. Her wrists ached and the discomfort grew with each passing second.
Sarah couldn’t see what Spencer was doing now, but heard the subtle noises of him shuffling about near the bed. She focused on the wood paneling wall in front of her, trying to maintain her civil and calm demeanor. For her to have a chance of escaping, she had to get better, but she also had to get back in his good graces and hopefully, have the restraints removed.
Spencer worked on her back, applying the antibiotic cream that felt cold to her skin. She shifted her weight from the contact. “Does that hurt?”
“It’s a bit cold,” Sarah answered.
“Yeah. It may be cold when first applied.” Spencer grabbed a square piece of gauze and covered the wound. He added a bandage that covered the area, then helped her lay flat.
The pressure on her arms and shoulders lessened. She exhaled slowly through her lips and adjust
ed her backside some more on the rigid mattress.
“I know it’s not the most comfortable bed in the world,” Spencer said, repeating the same procedure on the front of her side. “It’s rather stiff.”
Sarah focused on what looked to be a water stain on the ceiling. She stared at the discolored yellow outline, then said, “It’s all right. It’s better than the floor.”
Spencer followed her gaze, peering at the water stain. “That’s been there for some time. There were others spread throughout the cabin before I got the roof fixed and plugged any and all leaks. I still need to take care of that eyesore, but it’ll be dealt with in due time.”
“How long have you had this place?” Sarah asked.
“A couple years now. I’ve been working on it here and there. It belonged to my uncle who passed away. He wasn’t much on upkeep, or anything else for that matter. It looks ten times better now than it did.” Spencer replied.
A grunt seeped from Sarah’s mouth. “It seems you’re rather handy.”
Spencer shrugged. “I try to be. The only real person one can rely on is themselves. I know I’ll take care of anything that needs to be addressed. It will be nice, though, to have someone that I can lean on if needed.”
Sarah peered at Spencer who offered a sly smirk. She didn’t know how to respond to the comment and gave a warm smile instead.
“I’ve got some clothes that you can use, but we can take care of it in the morning. For now, you need to get your rest and sleep. That will help in your recovery,” Spencer said.
The pain in her wrists persisted. It added to the soreness of the tender skin that had already been chewed on by the zip ties from Kinnerk’s goon who’d kidnapped her days prior.
“Is there any possible way that you can loosen or even remove these restraints?” Sarah asked in a soft, endearing voice while batting her eyes at him. “I’m not sure if you noticed, but the skin around both of my wrists is tender, and these are making it worse. I’d be grateful if you’d consider doing this.”
Spencer looked at her while wiping his hands off on the towel. “I’ll loosen them up a bit, but I’m not removing them just yet.”
Survive The Fall | Book 5 | Fight Back Page 14