Water Read Free

breathed it in, frowning at the smell that didn’t quite seem to be a spice, but something more of a tangy zest.  I tried to place it.  It was an odd cross between a southeastern Chinese beach and the orange groves I once photographed near Riverside, California.  I’d moved around more often than a military brat as a child, and had a job that put me in sixteen different countries by the time I was twenty-five.  Fat lot of good that did me; I still couldn’t place where I was now. 
    I looked at the building behind me.  It was maybe three stories high, plus the basement, and long.  Voices interrupted my examination.  My head snapped toward them as I sucked in my stomach…as if that were going to hide me any better.
    "Which room?" one very annoyed male asked. 
    Another man responded, "The white room.  It was the only one ready."
    "What?  It wasn’t meant for keeping someone in, damn it!"
    "Were any of the rooms?"
    Voices of the arguing pair continued forward, diminishing with distance.  I moved as quickly as my hurt ankle allowed, keeping to the space between the shrubs and the building.  I risked a peek out to catch a glimpse of who I might be up against.  The men were not wearing uniforms but had all the bells and whistles security guards might have – radios, handcuffs, mace, and guns.  A new rush of adrenaline coursed through my veins.
    I emerged from my hiding place and began to sprint.  My footing was awkward at first but straightened out as I discovered how high my tolerance for pain really was.  I navigated the building, hoping the grounds were not as expansive on the other side.  Breathing heavily by the time I rounded the corner, I slowed down slightly to turn.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t going slowly enough to avoid a head-on collision with another guard.
    We both bounced back.  Our feet did not follow the change of direction so well and we each landed on the ground.  I jumped up while he stayed down, hugging his chest, right where my knee made contact.  I resumed my sprint.
    His wheezing voice carried after me, the walkie-talkie clicking.  "She’s…in the … north yard."
    I ran straight across the lawn, the mammoth property had to end eventually.  Soon groves of flowering trees began to fill the yard, becoming thicker as I progressed.  Just as I turned into them for better cover, several more men emerged, surrounding me. 
    I willed my body to stop.  Panting, I looked between them, simply annoyed at this point.  "You grow on trees around here?" 
    No one answered.  Five big men stood around me, each waiting to see who would make the first move. 

Chapter 3
     
    Hey, Yourself
     
    Sideways glances pointed to the one in charge.  They seemed to be waiting for his consent.  One of them spoke up, "How do you want to proceed, Shawn?"
    He looked at me, narrowing his eyes.  "Detainment – by any means necessary."
    Lovely .  He gave a slight nod, and two men stepped toward me, one on each side.  I quickly sized them up.  They were the smallest, but one was sporting a very ominous syringe.  The arrogant prick didn’t even try to hide it.
    Facing my opponents, I pulled my shoulders back.  There was no hesitation even as I considered the odds.  Despite all I had been through, despite the pain in my leg and wrist that was threatening to come back, I felt stronger, quicker, and very clear-headed.  I brushed it off as an adrenaline rush.  It felt great.  So great, in fact, that I didn’t have the patience to sit back and play defense.
    Taking the initiative, I turned to face the man with the syringe, fully aware the other one was coming up quickly behind me.  My hand shot out to grab his wrist and I twisted until his grip on the syringe loosened.  Not having to look, I leaned slightly to one side in order to avoid a blow the man behind me intended for my head.  It was as if they were moving in slow motion – how generous of them.  As luck would have it, his fist went straight