by Judy Corry
Bang! Bang!
I screamed. Were they shooting at me? Or was someone shooting the van? I couldn’t tell. I ducked down in an effort to avoid being hit by a bullet. My body jerked with each shot until the van spun out of control and I crashed into a wall of hard metal.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
ARIE
MY HEART FROZE for a moment and then pounded with a burst of adrenaline. It worked! I’d blown out the tires, but it sent the van flying into a ditch. I held my breath, worried I might have gotten Emma hurt. I pulled my truck over to the side of the road and jumped out, gun in hand. I ran to the front of the van and stumbled when I recognized my Psychology teacher in the passenger’s seat. He was unconscious, with blood running down his face. The other guy was a mammoth of a man, and he seemed dazed as he struggled to open the crushed door. I wanted to do something about them. But my first priority was Emma, and I needed to get her out of there before the big guy found a way out of the van.
I ran to the back and opened the doors to find Emma’s body crumpled in a heap before me. My stomach jumped to my throat when I realized she wasn’t moving at all.
Was she dead?
I ripped the pillowcase off her head, and my stomach churned. Emma had blood oozing out of a large gash on the back of her head. I reached for her neck to feel for a pulse.
Thump thump. Thump thump.
Relief washed over me when I felt her heart beating. I pulled a knife from my pocket and cut the zip ties that bound her wrists and ankles. Then I scooped her out of the van and ran with her to my truck.
Her arm was hanging crookedly. It had to be broken. Emma needed medical attention immediately. She appeared to have lost an awful lot of blood from the gaping cut on her head.
I laid her down on the seat of my truck, then shrugged out of my tuxedo jacket, throwing it on the floor. Then I ripped off my shirt and tore a long strip from it. I balled up the rest of my shirt and pushed it onto the head wound, and then I tied the strip around her head to secure the makeshift bandage. It should help slow the bleeding.
I jumped into the driver’s seat. There was more movement in the front seat of the van up ahead.
I wanted to run back and take care of the guys and make sure they couldn’t find Emma again. But Emma was slowly waking up—I needed to get her to a hospital before she lost any more blood.
I sped toward the Maplebridge hospital, calling 9-1-1 on my way. I could only pray the police or Jason and Sophie would get to Mr. Lund and the big guy before they had the chance to wander off into the woods.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
EMMA
“HOW ARE YOU DOING?” Arie came into my hospital room after the police finished asking me questions about my kidnapping. They’d been nice enough to wait until after the hospital had taken care of me. But I probably hadn’t answered their questions well in my shocked state.
Arie sat in a chair next to me. I smiled weakly at him, knowing I looked terrible. I was propped up in a hospital bed, my left arm in a sling and wrapped in a bandage. My right hand had an IV stuck in it, I had stitches in my head, and there were machines beeping all around me.
“H-how did you find me, anyway?” I remembered waking up as he drove me to the hospital, but with all the craziness I hadn’t gotten a straight answer, at least not one I was coherent enough for.
“I’ll start from the beginning.” Arie cleared his throat. He told me how after he’d talked to Brian, he’d noticed I was gone. He’d run out into the parking lot in time to see me being stuffed into the back of a van. When he spoke about chasing the van and shooting out the tires, I was confused about why he’d be carrying a gun in the first place. Maybe his uncle kept a gun in the truck or something?
“Have you heard about whether they caught Mr. Lund and his friend yet?” I’d been so nervous when talking to the police that I hadn’t dared ask them any questions.
Arie frowned. “When Jason and Sophie arrived at the scene, the van was empty. Mr. Lund and the other guy were moving around as I drove away with you and must have run off somewhere. The police are searching for them, but as far as I know, they haven’t had any luck yet.”
“So they might still come back for me?” I heard the hysteria in my own voice. I glanced at the wall of curtains, expecting Mr. Lund to part the sea of green fabric at any moment.
Arie placed his hand over mine. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Tears brimmed in my eyes. I wiped at them, desperate to stay in control. What was going on? Why did a teacher and his friend try to kidnap me? And would they try it again?
My tears soon turned to a flood of water streaming down my face as I thought about how I might never feel safe again. All I wanted was to go somewhere safe with my parents, but when I talked to them earlier they’d told me they were stuck in a blizzard at my grandparents’ house. I was all alone, and my parents were worried sick.
Arie leaned over my bed and wrapped his arms around me. I clung to him and sobbed into his shirt. “You’ll be okay,” he said, lips against my hair. “I won’t let you out of my sight again.”
It was nice of him to say that, but what could a senior in high school do to protect me from two kidnappers?
His voice was soothing, and after a while my tears slowed. I looked at him again and realized he was wearing a T-shirt with the hospital logo instead of his tuxedo. “Did you get hurt, too?” I asked between sniffles, pointing at his shirt.
He looked down. “No. Don’t you remember that awesome shirt bandage you had tied around your head when we got here? I think the nurses felt bad for me sitting around like a hobo without a shirt, so they gave me this a while ago.”
“Oh, good,” I said and lay back on my pillows. “I’m glad that you’re okay.”
He placed his hand on my unbroken arm. “If I could trade places with you, I would. I hate seeing you like this.”
I nodded. “When can we get out of here?” My kidnappers were probably hiding close by. This had to be the most obvious place for someone to come looking for me after that accident.
“I asked the nurse a while ago, and she said they’d discharge you after you spoke to the police.”
The doctor came in a little while later.
“Your arm will be in a splint for a few more days,” the doctor said, glancing down at his tablet for his notes. “Once the swelling is down, you’ll need a cast. And I’m worried you may have a mild concussion. Nothing showed up on your CT scan, but I’d like someone to monitor you for the next twenty-four hours, as a precaution.”
At the mention of being monitored, I thought of my parents again. Would I have to stay at my house alone tonight? Even if the weather did improve, it would take over ten hours for my parents to drive back from Colorado.
After the doctor told me how to take care of my stitches, he left. A nurse came in a minute later to help me change back into my formal dress, since I didn’t have anything else to wear. She was sweet and even commented on what a beautiful dress it was as she laced up the back.
I signed the discharge papers, and then Arie wheeled me out to his truck with the nurse at our side. Arie had to help me buckle in, since my gimpy arm was no help. Having a broken arm would complicate things. How would I do simple things on my own, like shower or get dressed?
“Do you want to stay at my house tonight?” He glanced at me as he drove. “There’s no way I’ll let you stay at your home alone.”
Relief washed over me. I didn’t know what I would do if I was on my own tonight. “Are you sure your aunt and uncle won’t mind?”
He chuckled at my comment, though I couldn’t imagine what was so funny. “I’m almost certain they’d insist on it.”
Arie parked his truck in the garage, pressed a bunch of buttons on some fancy security system, and then led the way into his dark house. “It looks like Jason and Sophie are still out,” he said, shouldering much of my weight as we walked. Every step I took caused pain to shoot through my body, and I had to make
a conscious effort not to moan as we made our way up the stairs. It felt like I’d been bulldozed over. I probably had bruises all over my face and body.
The nurse had cleaned up what she could at the hospital, but my hair still felt grimy. I wasn’t supposed to get my stitches wet, but I had to at least try to wash around them. “Is there any way I can take a shower before going to bed?”
“Of course. Let me get a bag to put over your arm to keep it dry.” He left me standing in a long, carpeted hallway while he ran downstairs. He soon returned with a garbage bag and some rubber bands. After handing me those, he went to get a T-shirt and pajama bottoms from his bedroom.
“I’m sure this is quite a step down from what you’re wearing now.” He handed me the clothes. “You looked beautiful in that dress, by the way.”
“Thanks.” I didn’t mention that I sort of liked the idea of wearing his clothes. “You wouldn’t happen to have an extra toothbrush, would you?”
“We should. Sophie always keeps a few extras on hand.” He took a few steps down the hall and retrieved one from the linen closet. “You can use my bathroom, if you like.” He gestured to the door behind me. “All the usual stuff is in the shower. Towels are in the cupboard on the left, and toothpaste in the top drawer on the right.”
I took the toothbrush from his hand. “Thanks again. For everything. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”
I shut the bathroom door, set my things on the counter, and then stood there for a moment, trying to figure out how to get out of my dress and into the shower. I moved my good arm to the laces at my back and tried to undo them. I was able to untie the bow at the bottom but couldn’t unlace anything else. Pain shot through me as I tried again. After struggling a few minutes more, I gave up and admitted to myself that I needed help.
I took a deep breath and peeked out the door. “Arie?” My throat was thick. “Can you come here a sec?”
“Yes?”
“Umm.” I looked at the ground. “I can’t seem to get out of my dress.” My cheeks burned. Why couldn’t his aunt be here to help instead? “If you could loosen the laces in the back and unzip it, I’m sure I can do the rest.”
He hesitated and then cleared his throat. “Uh, sure.” He shuffled closer.
I turned away from him, pulling my hair off my back. I held my breath and looked at the ceiling as he unlaced my dress. Had my dress gotten tighter? I couldn’t draw in a decent breath. He pulled the fabric out of each loop so slowly and carefully. Once the back was finally unlaced, his fingers gently grazed the skin above the back of my dress and lingered there, causing goose bumps to rise along my skin. His fingers stopped at the zipper. Could his heart be pounding as hard as mine was? He only hesitated a moment before one hand crept over my shoulder and the other tugged the zipper down inch by inch until it was low enough for me to reach.
As soon as he was done, I let go of my hair so it covered my now bare upper back and turned around. My heart was galloping as I dared a glance at his face.
His cheeks were more pink than usual, and on him the flushed color looked way more attractive than was safe right now.
We were alone.
In his house.
Definitely not safe.
I needed to make good decisions right now.
“Thank you.” I stepped back into the bathroom, and grabbed hold of the door to shut it.
He stuffed his hands in his pockets. “No problem.”
Showering was difficult and took much longer than usual, especially with my stitches, but at least I was able to do it. Getting dressed also took quite some time, but I wasn’t about to ask Arie to help me with that, too.
Once done, I went back into the hall, carrying my phone and dress in my good arm. Arie was in his room, wearing a pair of gym shorts and a T-shirt, lying on his bed with his arm over his eyes.
I felt bad for keeping him up so late. He must be exhausted.
He got up when he heard me and gestured to his bed. “You can sleep in here tonight. I’ll sleep on the couch downstairs.”
“I couldn’t make you sleep on the couch. I don’t want to keep you up all night and steal your bed.”
“No, it’s fine. You’ll sleep better in here. I grabbed a few pillows for you to elevate your arm.” He pointed to the stack of pillows on his bed. “And lucky for you, I changed the sheets this morning.”
It was a generous offer, but the thought of sleeping in a room all by myself terrified me. I couldn’t help imagining Mr. Lund sneaking in through Arie’s window and snatching me away into the dark night. I almost wanted to ask Arie to let me sleep on another couch in the living room near him.
I bit my lip, trying to decide what to do.
“Come on,” Arie said, reaching for my hand and pulling me through the door. I glanced around his bedroom, which was pretty bare. There was a queen-size bed in the middle and a dresser and desk along the wall.
I plodded to his bedside, dreading the moment I would be left alone with my imagination working overtime to scare me. Arie took the dress from my arm and put it on a hanger in his closet, next to what was left of his tuxedo. When he turned around, he frowned—he must have noticed my apprehension.
“Are you all right?” He raised an eyebrow as he studied my face. He shook his head. “Stupid question. Of course you’re not all right. You were kidnapped tonight and got in a car accident because of me.” He stepped closer and pulled me into a hug. “I’m so sorry.”
I leaned against his chest. “I-I’m scared to be alone right now.”
“Would it make you feel better if I stayed with you until you fell asleep?” He took a step back, his brow furrowed with concern.
I breathed a relieved breath. “Would you mind? I’m sure you’re exhausted.”
“You know what? I’ll sleep on the floor, if that’s okay.”
I nodded.
He left for a moment but returned with a sleeping bag and a sleeping pad. He set them up on the floor next to the bed and then reached for one of the pillows.
I grabbed his wrist to stop him. “No, let me sleep on the floor. It’s your bed after all.”
He looked back at me. “No, you sleep in the bed. You’ll be uncomfortable enough with your broken arm already. I won’t allow you to make it any worse.”
“Okay . . . if you say so.” I let go of his wrist and then pulled the covers back on the bed and climbed in. I propped the extra pillows under my arm in order to keep it elevated. There was an ice pack on the nightstand, and I smiled at Arie’s thoughtfulness. I hoped the swelling would go down before long.
Once I was situated, I called my parents and told them where I was staying the night. My mom was still debating whether to risk the storm and drive through the night, but I told her I was okay. It wouldn’t do any good if they got in an accident as well. It took some convincing, but my mom finally relented and said good night.
The tension in my body released when I finally lay against the pillows. Arie’s bed was so comfortable. When he saw I was ready for bed, Arie turned out the light and climbed into his sleeping bag on the floor.
Today had been such a long day, and with the intense last few hours, I was dead tired.
“Good night, Arie,” I said, trying to stifle a yawn. “Thanks for everything. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you for saving my life.”
Arie yawned as well. “Don’t worry about it. I’m glad I was able to get you back.”
“Me too.” I paused for a moment, remembering back to the dance. “Oh, and thanks for taking me to the dance. It was fun.”
“Was that only tonight? It can’t still be the same day, can it?” He yawned again and I heard him turn on the floor, his sleeping bag making a rustling sound as he moved. “What would your friends say if they knew you were sleeping in my bed tonight?” I could hear a smile in his voice. “What gossip that would cause.”
Before I could stop myself, I answered, “I’m pretty sure they’d be shocked, actually.”
&
nbsp; “Why do you say that?”
My face flushed with heat. “Um, no reason.” I couldn’t tell him. That would be so awkward.
“Just tell me. I can take it.” I heard him exhale loudly. “Why would it be so hard to believe that you’d end up here tonight?”
Now he thinks I’m not into him like that. “It’s not what you’re thinking.” I stared at the ceiling. “My friends would only be surprised because they know I’m waiting to have that kind of a relationship until I’m married.” I was glad it was dark and he couldn’t see my face. I was sure to be as red as a rose after admitting to the very guy I liked that I was a virgin.
His voice was quiet when he answered. “Oh, I see.”
Had I just blown my chances with him? Is he totally weirded out right now?
It was silent for a moment as I tried to muster the courage to ask him something. I took a deep breath and went for it. “Is that weird for you?” Thank goodness my voice didn’t squeak.
He rolled onto his side to face me. I could barely make out his features in the moonlit room. “Honestly, I think we feel the same way about that particular subject.”
What? Had I heard him right?
He continued, “You’re not the only virgin in the room.”
A huge smile spread across my face then. “For real?”
“Yep. My mom raised me right.”
“That’s good to know. Not many guys would admit to that.”
“I’m not like other guys, am I?”
Oh no, you are too good to be true! I didn’t say my thoughts out loud, though. Instead, I said, “I guess not.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
ARIE
I STARTLED awake when I heard Emma whimper. She was probably still asleep, but I should check on her anyway.
I rubbed my eyes and sat up, my back cracking with the movement. Sleeping on the floor wasn’t quite as comfortable as I remembered. I must be getting old. I crept on my knees over to Emma. Still asleep. I tiptoed to the window and looked for Bruce’s car. After making sure he was still watching the house, I went back to Emma’s bedside and studied her for a moment. She looked so sweet as she slept, her worries wiped off her face. Her nose had a slight bump at its bridge, and her cheeks looked soft in the moonlight. My eyes then lingered on her soft pink lips, making me wish I could kiss her again.