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And I’m the first name on the mayor’s shit list.
“Tell them I’ve been out hunting with Duke. Other than that, nobody tell the sheriff a damn thing other than that she left Tuesday afternoon. Call Warner and get him out here now.”
Cash flexes his jaw, clearly catching on to what I’m thinking. I meet his eyes, and we both know that one of us is probably going to end up in jail for this.
27
ROSIE
I’ve lost track of the days I’ve been here. After seeing that my body is so weak that I can barely stand, my captor finally brought me a sandwich. It was bologna, cheese, and stale white bread. I ate it in slow bites before washing it down with the last of my cup of water. I only get one cup a day.
The purple bruise on my face has faded to an ugly greenish yellow. I tried to escape once, but he threw me up against the wall so hard that I think it cracked one of my ribs. He said if I tried it again, that was only the beginning. My side continually aches, and if I turn in the wrong direction, a sharp pain shoots through me. The cabin is cold, and all I have is one thin blanket. My teeth chatter as I lie there.
I cried for what felt like an entire day, but with no sunlight and no clock, I have no real sense of time. The only link I have to the outside world is the sound of the birds chirping outside. I’ve been listening to them and humming softly to myself.
Is this what happened to my mother?
Why didn’t my father just pay up to get my mother back? He has plenty of money.
Will he let me die in here?
The reality that maybe he just never told me my mother was taken because he didn’t want to lose twenty million dollars grips me with paralyzing fear.
What if Holden never comes for me?
In the delusional recesses of my mind, I’ve battled with the idea that Holden is madly in love with me. That explains why he can’t sleep without me, and during his time in prison, he somehow became obsessed with me. I’ve always had a vivid imagination.
On the other side of my delusions, I’ve debated if he actually viciously hates me. He hates my father, and he hated my uncle enough to kill him.
I’m filled with silly girlish dreams for even imagining him coming to my rescue and saving me from this level of Hades.
I’m going to die in here. I’m going to die a virgin.
I whimper in pain and hopelessness, shifting my weight on the springy mattress to the side as I hear a commotion outside my door.
Male voices sound like they’re arguing, but I can’t make out either of them. I climb out of the bed, finding that my strength is depleted after having not eaten in days aside from the sandwich. I press my ear to the door, but as I do, the voices fade away. I keep my ear close up against the hollow wood for another few minutes without hearing anything. In a moment of desperation, I fear that someone came to rescue me or offer the ransom, but it went awry. Maybe a stray hunter stopped by, not knowing a girl was being held captive in the back room. I start banging my fist on the door, hoping whoever is out there isn’t just another member of the group of kidnappers.
“Hey! I’m in here! Hello?” I smack my fists against the door, praying I don’t pass out.
The door is jerked open, nearly causing me to fall forward. I catch myself on the doorframe, looking up into the beady eyes of the bald man.
“What the fuck are you yapping about?”
I peer around the cabin, seeing a bag of fast food from the burger place in town. My heart sinks, fresh tears forming.
“Can I use the bathroom?”
He takes a step back, opening up the door and indicating for me to enter. He knows I won’t try running again. I’m too weak, and with cracked ribs, I wouldn’t get far.
I stare into the mirror, my blue-green eyes bright with the fresh moisture, red-rimmed from crying. My face has bruises, a scabbed cut down the side of my eye, and I already look like I’ve lost some weight from lack of eating. My cheeks and eyes have sunk in.
A choked sob erupts from me as I collapse over the sink. I splash water on my face, drinking a few handfuls of it because he doesn’t offer me more than a small cup a day. It tastes fresh, like spring water. It makes me think we’re pretty far outside of the city limits, on someone’s land. We’re probably miles deep in the woods. I haven’t heard any cars go by.
If I do find another opportunity to escape, I’ll probably have to run through the woods for miles before finding a public road.
And I’m too weak. I’ll collapse in less than a minute.
I could hide. Maybe a hunter would find me.
