Black Pawn (Michael Cailen Book 1) Read Free Page A

was
starting to get desperate when the next window creaked open.  Thank God ,
she thought.  While she had been worried about how she would get down the other
side, she decided even a broken leg would be better than being a prisoner.  She
pulled with all her might until she was half out the window.  Then she brought
one leg up and pushed it out, followed by her other leg.  She was now on the
other side of the window hanging onto the edge.  She looked down at the ground
below and was so thankful it was grass and not concrete.  On the count of three,
she let go and dropped to the ground below.  Pain shot through her left ankle
as she hit the ground.  She stood quickly; the pain was bad, but not
unbearable.  She began hobbling towards the road.  As she rounded the corner of
the building, to her horror, there was Michael casually leaning up against the
side.  He hadn't really left.  He had parked up the road and walked back on
foot, knowing full well she would try to escape.
    “What did I tell you?” he asked calmly.
    She turned to run, but was in his strong grip before she
could take two steps.  She screamed and kicked as he dragged her back to the rusty
metal door.
    “I'm warning you. Stop!” he snarled.
    She only fought harder until suddenly she saw a flash of
light and everything seemed to be spinning around her.  She was dazed.  He had hit
her! She heard the squeak of the metal door and felt herself being carried
inside.  As they moved towards the futon and the pipe on the wall she
remembered what he said earlier and started to struggle against his grip.  If
he handcuffed her to that pipe, she was doomed.  Her ankle was throbbing and
now her head hurt, but she still screamed and fought to get away from him.  She
was just no match for him.  Within seconds, it was over.  She was handcuffed to
the pipe, just like he said.
    Exhausted, she started to cry.  Michael walked into the
bedroom, sat on the edge of the bed and buried his face in his hands.  He felt
terrible about what just happened.  He relived the day's events, trying to
decide if there was anything he could have done differently.  He concluded
there wasn't.  He couldn't have left her to die in the cafe or let her go
without knowing she would be safe.  If she died, it would be his fault.  They
were after him and she just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong
time.  He couldn't let her die for that.
    He came out of the bedroom and walked toward the fridge.  He
opened the freezer, grabbed a couple of ice packs, then picked up a bag off the
floor as he walked towards her on the futon.  He set one of the dining chairs
in front of the futon and sat down.
    “You hurt yourself when you jumped.  Where does it hurt?”
    “Screw you.”  She was angry now.  Her tears of distress had
turned to tears of frustration and anger.
    He ignored her attitude.  “Is it your ankle, leg, foot,
knee?”
    “The back of my head,” she snapped.
    He sighed and looked down.  For a second, she thought he
looked sorry.  He looked back up at her. “Where are you hurt?”
    “My ankle,” she squeezed out through clenched teeth.
    “I just want to make sure it's not broken.  I've had some
medical training.  Will you let me take a look at it?”
    “If it'll make you happy,” she said with a tone that made
Michael wish he had left her back at the cafe.
    He unlaced her sneaker and gently slid it off.  She winced
in pain as he did.  He pulled off her sock and gingerly examined her ankle.  “I
think it's just a minor sprain.  I'll wrap it up and you keep the ice on it.”
    He pulled a bandage from the bag and proceeded to wrap her
ankle with it, then placed one of the ice packs on it.  He gave her the other
pack to hold against the knot growing on the back of her head.  “Do you want
something for the pain?  I have the good stuff.”
    “What do you mean, 'the good stuff?'”
    “Morphine and Vicodin.  Although I think morphine might