by Abby Tyson
Savi yanked on the cool metal chain of the padlock that imprisoned them, but it held fast. She started twisting and shaking the bars, working her way from left to right. She threw her weight against the door a few times. It rattled within its deep rail, but didn't give way.
"Already tried that," said Marley, now sitting on the floor with his back against the far wall. "It looks old but the door's solid -- so is the window."
"Do you recognize anything outside?" she asked Ren.
When his brother didn't answer, Marley said, "No."
She took a few tentative steps to stand beside the window. Ren didn't move. Annoyed, she asked, "May I look?"
Ren glanced in her direction, but didn't make eye contact. He stepped aside, but stayed close enough to continue his vigil.
Savi fit her hand through the bars and pressed it against the glass. She caught a whiff of smoke and for a brief, irrational moment she hoped they were close to the October Mountain campsites, but then she realized the scent was emanating from Ren beside her. She pushed against the window frame, but it didn't budge, so she focused on the view.
A huge two-story barn, its roof outlined in orange from the sun setting behind it, sat in the middle of a clearing the size of a football field surrounded by trees. To the left of the barn were at least twenty parked cars, although Savi didn't see a road out of the clearing anywhere.
"I don't see anything familiar either," she said. She put her hand on the window once more, and a deep chill ran through her that had nothing to do with the cool glass. Rubbing her arms, she sat down against the wall opposite the window.
"You want my shirt?" Marley asked.
"Yeah, okay," she scoffed, putting her head on her knees.
She heard a rustling of hay, and then Marley's voice was close in front of her. "Here."
For a split-second her fear was forgotten when she saw Marley standing above her, now in a white t-shirt that showed off his muscular arms and body. The same smokey scent that clung to Ren wafted from the camo long-sleeve shirt in his hand, but mingled with the sweet smell of cedar.
"You're serious?" she asked.
"You're cold. You can give it back to me when we get out of here."
Something about the moment felt oddly familiar to Savi. She'd lived this before. But it had been brighter then, warmer, and safer. She thought she saw the same searching in his eyes, but the stall was too dim to be sure. Was it a real memory? Or was it just a dream? Whatever it was, it faded before Savi could see it, the dark present flooding over the bright past.
If he's expecting me to swoon over his hot body, he's going to be disappointed, Savi thought.
"I'm actually not cold. Thanks."
Savi refused to acknowledge her disappointment when Marley put his shirt back on, nor her pang of guilt at his confusion and chagrin. She stood and went back to the door, testing each board for weaknesses, all the while thinking of the many reasons she was right to refuse Marley's offer. She tried throwing herself against the door a few more times, but soon sat back down and put her head on her arms.
They sat in silence until the sunlight had disappeared. Savi nearly fell asleep, but her body spasmed her awake to keep from toppling over. Ren still stood at the window, his silhouette now blending in with the darkness in the stall. Marley had moved to sit against the same wall as the window, near his brother's feet. The moonlight wasn't bright enough for her to see him clearly, but she could tell he looked at her when her stomach growled. She crawled over to the bag of bread and started to open it when she paused. Holding it to the faint light from the window, she couldn't suppress a chuckle.
"What?" Marley asked.
Savi held up the bag. "It's organic," she said. "Our psychopath kidnappers are responsible consumers, at least." She went back to her spot against the wall and pulled out a couple slices. She was about to tie it closed when she turned to Marley's shadow. "Want some?"
"Sure." Savi threw him the bag. "Are you from around here?" he asked, then with a chuckle added, "Wherever here is?" He took some bread out and then handed the bag to his brother.
"About an hour southwest of October Mountain," she said. "You?"
"Pittsfield."
"I lived in Pittsfield for a couple years when I was a kid."
"What's your name?" he asked.
"Savannah."
Between bites, Marley asked, "Where'd you live in Pittsfield?"
"A couple different places." Savi started on her second slice. "How'd you guys get here?"
"We were in the park this afternoon when we came across leather vest and gray beard. They pulled guns on us and made us drink something that made us black out. Then we woke up here."
"Didn't you have guns too?"
"No," Marley said. "Why would we have guns?"
"You were hunting, weren't you?"
He looked down at his camo, then up at his brother, before saying, "We weren't really hunting."
"How do you not really hunt?"
"When you don't have guns."
Savi arched an eyebrow at him, but didn't push. He was probably just being cagey because it wasn't hunting season.
"What about you?" asked Marley. "How'd they get you?"
Not wanting to admit that she knew her kidnapper, or that she'd been drunk when they caught her, she just said, "Pretty much the same," and rubbed her still aching head.
"Someone's coming," said Ren, startling Savi.
"It couldn't have been an hour," she said, joining Marley and Ren at the window.
A break in the clouds enabled the full moon to shine on two silhouettes walking away from the large barn and toward theirs. One of them was large and thick, definitely the biker guy, while the other was nearly a head shorter. Savi's stomach dropped. She started pacing the stall.
"If we all charge them when he opens the stall door," she said, "then at least one of us might get out and run for help."
"They've got guns," Marley said.
Savi went back to the window. "How many? Does everyone have a gun? I don't think the guy who walked me here had one."
"Everyone who's come in here, except your man, has had one," Ren said, meeting Savi's eyes for the first time. His voice was grittier than Marley's, with an air of authority that irritated her. "Our best bet is to try and run if they bring us outside." He looked back out the window. The silhouettes were almost to their barn. "Although if there are only two, they may not take all three of us."
"Then whichever two they take will make a break for it," Savi said. "Agreed?"
The two brothers exchanged a glance. "Agreed," said Ren.
The barn door opened. Savi covered her eyes to let them adjust to the sudden light.
"Back against the wall," the biker guy boomed.
It wasn't until she was standing with her back against the bars of the window that she looked up at the door. The biker guy was unlocking the padlock. Slightly behind him stood Baxter.
"Heya, Savi."
Savi was startled to hear him say her nickname. She had purposely introduced herself to him as Savannah, like she always did with strangers. Baxter certainly could have taken the liberty of making up a nickname, but she found it eerie that he chose the correct one.
"Savi?" Marley said her nickname as if she had lied to him about her real name. He was looking at her with renewed interest.
"You know him?" Ren asked, glaring at her with suspicion.
"No," said Savi with a scowl at Baxter. "I don't."
The biker guy rolled open the door to reveal that both he and Baxter were aiming handguns at them.
"Grab her, Tiny," Top ordered Baxter.
"Tiny?" asked Savi.
A blotch of red appeared on Baxter's forehead, but he gave her a forced smile. "You're not the only one with a nickname." He gestured for her to exit the stall. "Come on, you're up."
"What's going on?" Savi demanded, staying where she was.
The biker guy spoke first, his voice impatient and louder than it needed to be in t
he small space. "You're about to find out. Come on."
"No one's gonna hurt you, kid," Baxter said. "This'll help you, just like it helped me."
"Just her?" Marley asked, starting to step in front of her.
Both Baxter and the biker guy raised their guns when Marley moved.
"Just her," the biker guy said.
Savi looked back at Ren and gave him a barely perceptible nod. He did the same.
"Don't, Savi," Marley said. It was half command, half plea.
"Not up to you, son," said the biker guy.
But Savi knew Marley hadn't been talking about going with Baxter. Now that it was only going to be one against two, she didn't put much stock in their escape plan either. But if she didn't, who knew what horrors awaited her in the barn looming across the field?
Looking in Marley's green eyes, Savi felt the spark of familiarity again, but her mother's voice warned her against it. Don't lose yourself.
She walked past Marley to the door. Baxter grabbed her arm tightly and pulled her out, but kept his gun trained on the two brothers as the biker guy closed and locked the stall door.
Staring at the door without seeing it, Savi tried to muster the courage to run as soon as she was outside. Hopefully the biker guy would walk out behind them, so Savi would have at least an extra second while he stepped out the door. Different scenarios played out in her head, all ending in one of three ways: success, failure, or death.
As she searched for the strength she needed, a voice whispered in her head that if she hadn't been strong enough to endure high school, there was no way she was strong enough for this. This was the same voice that both encouraged her to drink on her back porch in the dark when her mom was out, and then mocked her for it; the same voice that whispered her mom wished Savi had never been born; that her only friend in the world had chosen a guy over her; and that it didn't matter how hard she worked in school or tried to do the right thing, her father would never come back for her.
Feeling herself being pulled deeper toward that voice, Savi looked at Marley and Ren. They were both staring at her, and side by side, in the bright light, the family resemblance was startling. They weren't just brothers, they were twins. Ren's hair was a bit longer than Marley's, but it was the same dark shade of blond, and they shared the same straight nose. Both watched her with the same round eyes, but Marley's were full of concern and even fear, while Ren's were hard and unreadable. Was she really going to risk her life for two strangers?
As Baxter tugged her away from the stall and toward the door, she glanced out another window in the wall to her left. The moon was hidden once again, and the large barn loomed, a dark shadow against the dark sky. The fear of what she was being dragged to wrenched her thoughts out of the cloud of self-pity, and energized them with the need for self-preservation. Her primal instinct for survival took over, clawing at her chest and neck. She began to feel like she might actually be able to do this, hot energy spreading through her like rushing blood.
"Guess who I ran into this afternoon back at your campsite?" Baxter asked conversationally, as if she were joining him for lunch rather than being held at gunpoint.
Savi didn't answer. The biker guy was opening the door, and she kept her energy focused on escaping as soon as she stepped through.
"The two of 'em are waiting for you in the barn," Baxter continued. "They seem like a nice couple."
She hardly heard him. The smell of the grass drifted through the open door. The woods were close by to their right, and would hopefully provide her some cover.
Baxter put one foot out the door, and Savi followed, close beside him. Her body tensed as she prepared to spring away.
"I leaned into her a little for leaving you high and dry for the weekend, but she felt pretty bad already."
The energy that had been simmering within her iced over. Both feet on the grass, she froze. "Hettie?"
"You got it," he said with a grin.
The image of tiny, sweet Hettie coming back for her, and being trapped at the mercy of these animals filled Savi with an uncontrollable rage. It burst through and shattered the thick ice that immobilized her.
She shoved Baxter with all of her strength, taking him off guard and making him lose his balance. He let go of her as he recovered, but Savi didn't run.
"What have you done to her?" she shouted down at him. "Where is she?" She turned to run to the large barn when a heavy hand toppled her to the ground from behind. She flipped over to see the biker guy standing over her with his gun pointed at her face.
"She's okay, Savi," Baxter said, grabbing her arm and pulling her up. "You'll see that for yourself in a minute."
Savi glanced at the woods over Baxter's shoulder.
"Move it," the biker guy said, gesturing with his gun.
Savi hung her head, and followed Baxter to the barn.
Chapter Nine
"Why is Hettie here?" Savi demanded.
"I went back for Nissa and my car after we got you --"
"Kidnapped me, you mean."
Baxter scoffed. "Hardly. You were pretty out of it. How much of that stuff did you drink? That stuff'll kill ya, you know."
"Apparently you will too."
The moon peered out from behind the clouds in time for Savi to see Baxter's scowl. "Come on, you know me better than that. No one's gonna kill ya, kid." When Savi didn't respond, he continued. "Anyhoo, I went back, and they were at your site looking for you. I told 'em you were at my place and they followed me here."
Savi realized she didn't believe a word he said. Was Hettie even here? "You are such a liar," she said. "Kismet? How did you really find me at the park?"
Shrugging, he said, "I saw you at the convenience store and followed you. Hey," he added over her protest, "sometimes you gotta help those who won't help themselves."
They were almost to the barn. The thought of entering it made Savi's skin crawl. She tried to jerk her arm out of his grip.
"Don't be stupid," the man behind her said.
Savi continued to pull away. "Let me go!"
Baxter nearly lost his hold. He pointed his gun at her, but looked worried. "I don't want to hurt you, Savi."
"Then let me go!"
A deafening crack rang through the clearing. Savi covered her ears and tried to drop to the ground, but Baxter had tightened his grip and held her upright. The man behind her had his gun aimed at the woods.
"If you're stupid again, I won't miss." The clouds passed back in front of the moon, but not before Savi could see the truth behind the words in the biker man's eyes. "Can you handle this one, Tiny?" he asked. "Or is she too strong for your tiny arms?"
There was no warmth, no friendliness in the teasing, and she felt Baxter stiffen beside her. "I got her," he said quietly. Jerking on her arm, he said, "Come on."
Taking the last few steps to the barn door, Baxter whispered, "I'm not lying."
"I don't believe anything you say," Savi hissed. "I bet your mom doesn't live in Egremont. Nissa probably isn't even your daughter. Is your name even Baxter?"
They paused in front of the barn. Savi thought she heard a din of noise from within, but it was too quiet to distinguish until the biker guy opened the door into a small tack room. Although still muffled, the unmistakable sounds of dogs barking and howling rang out from within. But Savi barely heard it when she saw the two people inside.
At the same time Savi shouted "Hettie!" her best friend cried, "Savi!"
Baxter let go of her as the two girls ran toward each other.
"See?" Baxter said behind her. "I wasn't lyin' -- to any of you."
The biker guy walked past them and to another door on the opposite wall where the older man who had walked Savi through the woods stood guard, along with a man who was his twin in every way except his left hand was missing. When the biker guy went through, the dog sounds filled the room. Savi caught a glimpse of a collection of large boxes in the next room before the door closed behind him.
Looking only at
Hettie and trying to ignore Colby standing beside her, Savi asked, "Why are you here?"
"I'm so sorry I bailed on our camping trip. I know you're feeling left behind with all this college stuff, and I should have stuck with our plans." Savi tried to speak, but Hettie kept talking. "I felt so bad. I called you three times, but your phone was probably off or on silent, as always."
Laughing nervously, Hettie continued. "I just kept talking about it on the way to the restaurant and at the restaurant, that we ended up getting takeout and going to October Mountain."
She glanced at Baxter, who was stationed at the door that led outside. "He was there when we arrived, poking around. He said he had run into you there with his daughter, and that he was an old family friend who hadn't seen you in years. He said he'd come back with his daughter because she dropped her toy."
Following Hettie's gaze, Savi glared at Baxter. He stuck his tongue out at her and she turned away to survey the room. It was filled with dusty saddles, bridles, and ribbons, and smelled faintly of leather polish. Pictures and posters of men and women riding and jumping horses covered the walls. The only thing that didn't fit with the equestrian theme was a large white robe and several thin hospital gowns, all hanging beside the door that led to the dogs.
"He called you Savannah," Hettie said, "which I thought was weird, but he had clearly spoken with you, because he knew I was supposed to camp with you this weekend, and that you wanted to watch the sunset, which we always do. He said he'd driven you to his place, so we took Colby's car and followed him here. Then they locked us in this room. Honestly I didn't think you were here at all."
Savi started to hug her again, but Colby pulled her to him first.
"We'll get through this, Teetee, don't worry," he said.
"Teetee?" Savi asked, unable to fully mask her annoyance at his presence.
Hettie smiled weakly. "It's what he used to call me when we were kids."
"Oh." For the first time Savi noticed how nice Hettie looked. She was wearing her lucky black pencil skirt, with a sparkly dark green short-sleeve blouse. The corner of Savi's mouth twitched at Hettie wearing her hair down, which she rarely did, but her smile was stifled by a pang of jealousy at how happy Hettie was in Colby's arms.