him.
“I’m Chase Hunter, Mrs. Scott.” He stood with his feet slightly apart as if inspecting the troops. His hands locked in front of him. “I apologize for keeping you here for so long.” He took a step forward but stopped when Tessa slid away from him. “I’m afraid we still have some unfinished business.” His smile, although meant to be disarming, only made Tessa shiver with fear.
“What kind of business?” Tessa pulled back her shoulders as if that might look brave. “I want to go home!”
“I’m afraid that’s not possible.” Chase dropped his locked hands and placed them on his hips. “We need some information.”
Tessa nodded and moved toward him. “Okay.” Her voice soft and forgiving made Chase smile revealing straight white teeth.
“Shall we?” He nodded toward the door.
“Oh no!” Tessa moaned as she batted her eyes quickly.
“What’s wrong?”
“My contact lens! It fell out.”
Chase dropped his hands from his hips and looked down at the concrete floor. With both hands Tessa grabbed his shirt and pulled him to her chest. The look of surprise in his eyes was followed by excruciating pain as Tessa rammed her knee into Chase’s groin. When he staggered to stay on his feet, she lifted the rickety chair and swung it into his arched back. With the sound of splintering wood came a curse as Chase fell to the floor. Quickly, Tessa darted out of the room and slammed the door shut, making sure it locked before turning to run up the now visible stairs. Grabbing a broken broom handle propped against the wall, Tessa clenched it tightly like a samurai’s sword.
Cautiously, Tessa made her way up the dimly lit stairs. She heard the static of a walkie talkie then a man’s voice. Someone waited at the top of the stairs out of sight. Tessa laid down her broom stick on the landing that led up the next flight of stairs. She eased back behind a stack of boxes that created a dark corner.
“Help! Chase has been hurt! Please, someone!” she screamed, then crouched a little lower behind the boxes. A second later a camouflage dressed man barreled down the steps to the rescue only to step on the broom stick handle sending his feet into the air and his head crashing against the concrete step. Tessa could see he was unconscious as she slipped out from her hideout. Retrieving the stick, Tessa rushed up the stairs only to stop and press her ear to the door. Nothing.
Cracking open the steel door revealed light. Blessed light! Tessa pushed harder on the door and slipped her bruised and aching body into a hallway lined with windows. Distracted by the normal passage of traffic on the nearby street, she failed to notice the man coming through the doors at the end of the hall until his familiar East European voice startled her back to reality.
“Well, what do we have here?” It was the man dressed in black from the helicopter. He didn’t try to approach her as he folded his arms across his chest. His eyes darted toward the basement doors looking for Chase. “Alone at last.” His voice sounded matter of fact.
Tessa panicked. Turning her eyes toward the ground level windows, Tessa knew she had but one option. With all the strength she could gather, Tessa backed up and ran toward the windows, using the broom handle as a javelin. Upon impact the javelin propelled her backwards like a rubber ball. She hit the wall so hard the broom stick flew out of her hands only to be caught in midair by the man in black as he calmly approached.
“Bullet proof,” he said looking down at her crude weapon, “and broomstick proof.” He smiled wickedly. “And what have you done with Captain Hunter?”
Robert looked bewildered at his Blackberry, as if doing so would suddenly explain why Tessa wasn’t answering her phone. He wanted to let her know they had arrived safely at the lake and that the kids were just fine. Robert had looked forward to rubbing salt into Tessa’s super mom wounds all day. The kids wanted to
“I’m Chase Hunter, Mrs. Scott.” He stood with his feet slightly apart as if inspecting the troops. His hands locked in front of him. “I apologize for keeping you here for so long.” He took a step forward but stopped when Tessa slid away from him. “I’m afraid we still have some unfinished business.” His smile, although meant to be disarming, only made Tessa shiver with fear.
“What kind of business?” Tessa pulled back her shoulders as if that might look brave. “I want to go home!”
“I’m afraid that’s not possible.” Chase dropped his locked hands and placed them on his hips. “We need some information.”
Tessa nodded and moved toward him. “Okay.” Her voice soft and forgiving made Chase smile revealing straight white teeth.
“Shall we?” He nodded toward the door.
“Oh no!” Tessa moaned as she batted her eyes quickly.
“What’s wrong?”
“My contact lens! It fell out.”
Chase dropped his hands from his hips and looked down at the concrete floor. With both hands Tessa grabbed his shirt and pulled him to her chest. The look of surprise in his eyes was followed by excruciating pain as Tessa rammed her knee into Chase’s groin. When he staggered to stay on his feet, she lifted the rickety chair and swung it into his arched back. With the sound of splintering wood came a curse as Chase fell to the floor. Quickly, Tessa darted out of the room and slammed the door shut, making sure it locked before turning to run up the now visible stairs. Grabbing a broken broom handle propped against the wall, Tessa clenched it tightly like a samurai’s sword.
Cautiously, Tessa made her way up the dimly lit stairs. She heard the static of a walkie talkie then a man’s voice. Someone waited at the top of the stairs out of sight. Tessa laid down her broom stick on the landing that led up the next flight of stairs. She eased back behind a stack of boxes that created a dark corner.
“Help! Chase has been hurt! Please, someone!” she screamed, then crouched a little lower behind the boxes. A second later a camouflage dressed man barreled down the steps to the rescue only to step on the broom stick handle sending his feet into the air and his head crashing against the concrete step. Tessa could see he was unconscious as she slipped out from her hideout. Retrieving the stick, Tessa rushed up the stairs only to stop and press her ear to the door. Nothing.
Cracking open the steel door revealed light. Blessed light! Tessa pushed harder on the door and slipped her bruised and aching body into a hallway lined with windows. Distracted by the normal passage of traffic on the nearby street, she failed to notice the man coming through the doors at the end of the hall until his familiar East European voice startled her back to reality.
“Well, what do we have here?” It was the man dressed in black from the helicopter. He didn’t try to approach her as he folded his arms across his chest. His eyes darted toward the basement doors looking for Chase. “Alone at last.” His voice sounded matter of fact.
Tessa panicked. Turning her eyes toward the ground level windows, Tessa knew she had but one option. With all the strength she could gather, Tessa backed up and ran toward the windows, using the broom handle as a javelin. Upon impact the javelin propelled her backwards like a rubber ball. She hit the wall so hard the broom stick flew out of her hands only to be caught in midair by the man in black as he calmly approached.
“Bullet proof,” he said looking down at her crude weapon, “and broomstick proof.” He smiled wickedly. “And what have you done with Captain Hunter?”
Robert looked bewildered at his Blackberry, as if doing so would suddenly explain why Tessa wasn’t answering her phone. He wanted to let her know they had arrived safely at the lake and that the kids were just fine. Robert had looked forward to rubbing salt into Tessa’s super mom wounds all day. The kids wanted to
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