puncture her skin. It wasn’t like he took her blood or anything. Wait… That was vampires. She didn’t want to even think about getting furry. Hell, she’d just had her legs waxed three weeks ago. Damn it.
Her heart raced. It rushed and dashed until she knew she was about to pass out. Calm down. Calm down . No matter how many times she tried, she couldn’t stop the panic drumming through her.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she pulled it out. She held it up and stared at the three bars, then at the single sliver of red in the battery section. Shit , it was almost dead. Hopefully she had enough juice for one call. If it went through, one call was all she would need.
She punched in the numbers and prayed.
“Nine-one-one. What is your emergency?”
“Hi, my name is Giovanni Odell, and I’m being held prisoner. I think they might kill me.” She chose her words carefully, even though the voice in her head was screaming at her to tell it all. Tell the woman about how the men had changed on her. Tell her to call out the police and animal control.
“Can you tell me where you are?” the woman asked slowly.
“I’m in Climax, Minnesota. I don’t remember the address. Can’t you pull up my location from my phone?” Gio heard a small beep and knew her phone was about to go dead.
“No, ma’am, I’m sorry; we haven’t upgraded to the new systems. Do you remember anything special about your location?”
Before Gio could answer, the phone clicked, then shut off. She pulled it away from her ear in time to see the cheery good-bye message on the screen before it went black. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
She wanted to throw the damn phone with its short battery life at the wall. Her one chance at escape gone because she hadn’t bothered to fully charge her phone on the drive up here. Anger overtook the fear coursing through her. This could not be happening. Her head ached. She was consumed with the need to scream, cry, and run. And just like that, she passed out.
* * *
A loud knock at the door woke her with a start. For a minute she was disoriented. Had it just been a dream? No, no she hadn’t been dreaming. She scanned the room quickly, looking for something she could use as a weapon.
“Are you ready to come out?” a male voice yelled through the wood.
“Is that monster still out there?” She groaned as she realized that it didn’t matter which one of the men was speaking to her, both had turned into monsters. Almost the same size…
There was a chuckle from the other side. “Come on out and see for yourself.”
“Not fucking likely.”
“Look, we aren’t going to hurt you. We want to sit and discuss this like rational adults. Besides, do you really think that door would keep me out if I wanted to come in?”
He had a point there. She rubbed her hand back and forth along her forehead. Didn’t the news always say you should tell your kidnappers your name? Build some sort of connection with them. Make them see you as a person. Gio licked her lips. She was going to have to go out there.
When she went to take a step toward the door, her legs turned to jelly. With each step, her muscles quaked, and she found her heart racing as though it was about to burst from her chest. You can do this. You can do this . She pinched the door lock between her fingers and twisted, then grabbed the door handle and pulled it open.
Jason was there, staring up at her, and he was grinning.
“How long have you been there? Were you going to sit there all night?” Her gaze narrowed, but she knew she didn’t want to hear his answer. “Never mind. I don’t care. I just want to get out of here.”
“You’ve been in there since yesterday,” he said hesitantly.
“No. I couldn’t have.” She started shaking. This was crazy. He moved out of her way, and she walked toward the door. She wanted to think he was lying but there was no
Her heart raced. It rushed and dashed until she knew she was about to pass out. Calm down. Calm down . No matter how many times she tried, she couldn’t stop the panic drumming through her.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she pulled it out. She held it up and stared at the three bars, then at the single sliver of red in the battery section. Shit , it was almost dead. Hopefully she had enough juice for one call. If it went through, one call was all she would need.
She punched in the numbers and prayed.
“Nine-one-one. What is your emergency?”
“Hi, my name is Giovanni Odell, and I’m being held prisoner. I think they might kill me.” She chose her words carefully, even though the voice in her head was screaming at her to tell it all. Tell the woman about how the men had changed on her. Tell her to call out the police and animal control.
“Can you tell me where you are?” the woman asked slowly.
“I’m in Climax, Minnesota. I don’t remember the address. Can’t you pull up my location from my phone?” Gio heard a small beep and knew her phone was about to go dead.
“No, ma’am, I’m sorry; we haven’t upgraded to the new systems. Do you remember anything special about your location?”
Before Gio could answer, the phone clicked, then shut off. She pulled it away from her ear in time to see the cheery good-bye message on the screen before it went black. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
She wanted to throw the damn phone with its short battery life at the wall. Her one chance at escape gone because she hadn’t bothered to fully charge her phone on the drive up here. Anger overtook the fear coursing through her. This could not be happening. Her head ached. She was consumed with the need to scream, cry, and run. And just like that, she passed out.
* * *
A loud knock at the door woke her with a start. For a minute she was disoriented. Had it just been a dream? No, no she hadn’t been dreaming. She scanned the room quickly, looking for something she could use as a weapon.
“Are you ready to come out?” a male voice yelled through the wood.
“Is that monster still out there?” She groaned as she realized that it didn’t matter which one of the men was speaking to her, both had turned into monsters. Almost the same size…
There was a chuckle from the other side. “Come on out and see for yourself.”
“Not fucking likely.”
“Look, we aren’t going to hurt you. We want to sit and discuss this like rational adults. Besides, do you really think that door would keep me out if I wanted to come in?”
He had a point there. She rubbed her hand back and forth along her forehead. Didn’t the news always say you should tell your kidnappers your name? Build some sort of connection with them. Make them see you as a person. Gio licked her lips. She was going to have to go out there.
When she went to take a step toward the door, her legs turned to jelly. With each step, her muscles quaked, and she found her heart racing as though it was about to burst from her chest. You can do this. You can do this . She pinched the door lock between her fingers and twisted, then grabbed the door handle and pulled it open.
Jason was there, staring up at her, and he was grinning.
“How long have you been there? Were you going to sit there all night?” Her gaze narrowed, but she knew she didn’t want to hear his answer. “Never mind. I don’t care. I just want to get out of here.”
“You’ve been in there since yesterday,” he said hesitantly.
“No. I couldn’t have.” She started shaking. This was crazy. He moved out of her way, and she walked toward the door. She wanted to think he was lying but there was no
Similar Books
Worlds Enough and Time
Joe Haldeman
Say Yes
Mellie George
The Unexpected Guest
Agatha Christie
The Devil—With Wings
L. Ron Hubbard
Acrobat
Mary Calmes
The Wheel of Darkness
Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child
Secrets of a Summer Night
Lisa Kleypas
Life on the Preservation, US Edition
Jack Skillingstead
