Total pages in book: 23
Estimated words: 21159 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 106(@200wpm)___ 85(@250wpm)___ 71(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 21159 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 106(@200wpm)___ 85(@250wpm)___ 71(@300wpm)
“Penny!?” I call out with a smile. She must have gone downstairs to get a drink, or maybe even to make us both a snack like she had made for me before. “Hey, city girl!” I call out.
Again, no response.
I throw on my briefs and jeans, splash some water on my face, and head downstairs. Oddly enough, there’s no sign of her. Not in the living room or kitchen. Quickly, I rush back upstairs and see that her clothes are still right on the floor where I left them when I pulled them off her.
“What the hell?”
I throw on my shirt, take the stairs two at a time and immediately head outside and call her name. “Penny!?”
My voice echoes out against the trees, but there is no response.
Instantly, my heartrate jumps. Something’s not right here.
I move out across the front spread, searching for evidence of what could have potentially gone on. If Penny had just taken a walk, she would have woken me up to let me know, or left me a note. Hell, she would have put her damn clothes on.
I’m just passed the chopping block when I see them: two lines in the dirt. Lines that look like they were made by the heels of someone’s feet as though they were being dragged away. And beside those, boot prints.
“Shit!”
I sprint back to the cabin and straight over to my gun cabinet. I grab my Glock-17 and slap in a fully loaded magazine. I also grab my Spartan KA-BAR knife in its sheath and am back out the door in seconds.
I race back to the tracks and follow them into the woods, running as fast as I can. I have to slow down once the trees thicken, as it grows harder to track through the terrain, which is more stone and brush and less dirt.
But I can still see the occasional boot mark here and there, or broken branch on a tree, or scuffed-up terrain where it looks like Penny may have been dragging her feet to leave a trail for me.
Within minutes, I hear the sound of a person in boots who’s in a hurry, barging their way through the forest. And whoever that person is, they’ve got Penny.
I slow down, crouch, draw my pistol, and move forward.
After coming over a ridge, I see them both: two figures. Penny, wrapped in nothing but the blanket from my couch, and a much taller man grasping her by the arms. He doesn’t look like special forces or a guy with any kind of training. He’s dressed just like a guy from the city who came out here for a hike.
Son of a bitch.
Taking a breath, I spring into action.
I circle around in a flanking position and raise my weapon at the man, making sure Penny is fully clear of my line of fire.
“Let go of her or I shoot,” I say firmly so there’s no misunderstanding. The man nearly jumps out of his skin at the sound of my voice and spins to face me. “Penny, drop to the ground.”
She tries, but the man tightens his grip on her and pulls her tight, using her as a human shield.
“Ah! Don’t even think about it!” he shouts.
“Are you serious, Jerry!?” Penny blurts out, sounding terrified but also completely astounded at the same time.
“Who the hell is this guy?” Jerry asks. I can hear his voice trembling.
“I could ask you the same question,” I reply. “Get your hands off my girl. Now!”
Of all the ways I saw the rest of this day going, this sure as hell wasn’t one of them. Penny seems to be keeping it together, but I don’t want this for her.
“Listen, pal,” this Jerry guy says to me. “I’ve got a job to do, okay? And that job entails bringing this girl back to the city. I am gonna do my job. So why don’t you just turn around and go back to your little cabin in the woods and stop pretending you’re Jason Bourne, okay?”
Even from where I’m standing, I can see Penny’s lower lip quivering. I know she’s terrified by all this, and seeing that just breaks me and I leap into action.
I drop my gun and dash toward him. I may be big, but I’m also fast, and I close the distance between us before he can react.
I see his eyes go wide just before I drive my fist into his nose and knock him straight back onto his ass.
He lets go of Penny, and she instantly races off. I reach back into my pants where I tucked my knife and quickly draw it. Before Jerry even has time to gasp, I have my knee on his chest and the blade an inch from his face.
“See this, pal?” I snarl at him. “This is just as lethal as my Glock. And I know you don’t know this, but you’re actually on my property right now, so I am well within my rights to kill you for trespassing. That was also attempted kidnapping you were trying back there on Penny.”