more careful.”
“How long ago was this?”
“It’s been three years.”
“Have you dated since then?” he asked, more curious than he should be.
“A few first dates.”
“No second dates?” He was sure there were plenty of men who’d want a second date with a woman like her.
She shrugged. “Like I said, I’m careful.”
He couldn’t fault her. Not when he didn’t do second dates, either.
The sound of the lock sliding open galvanized them both to their feet.
The same young man who had brought the food shuffled in.
He looked at the uneaten food and then looked at them, his eyes big and scared. “They’ll get mad if you don’t eat.”
“Who’s they? ” Jeff walked closer.
The kid backed up. “You better not try anything,” he said in a low, urgent tone with a quick glance over his shoulder. “They’ll kill you. And me.”
“Where are we?” Tessa asked.
“Sherman’s place.” The kid stuffed his hands into his pockets. “You better eat that quick.”
“Get out here!” a man from beyond the open door to the shed shouted.
Jeff stepped to the right so he had a line of sight on the big guy with the scar running down the side of his face. The AK-47 the man held was aimed at the door.
“Did they put something in the food?” Tessa asked.
The kid scrunched up his nose. “No. I brought it straight over from the kitchen.”
“Then we better hurry.” Jeff touched Tessa’s shoulder. “Grab them off the tray.”
Once she had the sandwiches stacked in her hands, Jeff swept the tray off the floor and handed it to the younger man. “I’m Jeff. This is Tessa. What’s your name?”
After a moment of hesitation, he answered, “Kyle.”
Releasing his hold on the tray, Jeff nodded. Kyle hurried out the door, locking it behind him.
“Here.” Tessa pressed a sandwich into his hand.
The thing was dry and tasted like cardboard, but he ate every last crumb.
Tessa took a swig of water. “I wonder who Sherman is.”
“I have a suspicion we’ll find out soon enough.” Jeff reached for his own water bottle and drank deeply.
“Why did you ask Kyle his name?” Tessa asked. “And tell him ours?”
“If we hope to sway him to our side, he has to see us as people, as friends.”
“Smart. I’m impressed.”
“I don’t know if it will work. Kyle’s afraid of the man with the scar.”
“Do you blame him?” She scrunched up her nose and frowned. “That guy creeps me out.”
“Me, too.” He finished off his bottle of water.
“Shouldn’t you save some?” Tessa asked, concern darkening her eyes.
Taking the empty bottle, he blew into it, then quickly tightened the cap. Grasping each end of the bottle in his hands, he twisted the plastic cylinder until there were two bubbled sections.
“What are you doing?”
“Making a water-bottle gun. When I release the pressure by twisting the cap, the cap will pop off with force. It won’t kill anyone but hopefully it will distract enough for me to disarm whoever comes through that door again.”
“But that guy with the scar stands too far back.”
He winced. “Yeah. That’s a problem.”
“How did you learn that trick?”
“Science class in junior high.” He grinned. “I never thought it would come in handy but...” He shrugged. “Here’s hoping it works when the time comes.”
He went to the window and peered out. He could tell from the position of the sun that it was well past noon. He prayed his boss had sent out a search party when Jeff didn’t check in.
He counted the men he saw coming and going from the two buildings he could see. Only a couple of the guys were armed. He wished he’d caught a better look at the place to determine how heavily defended they were. He knew there were at least a dozen men with guns. But was that it or were there more? He needed to know how far away the nearest town was and where the road they were brought in on led.
He heard voices before he saw two men appear in his line of
“How long ago was this?”
“It’s been three years.”
“Have you dated since then?” he asked, more curious than he should be.
“A few first dates.”
“No second dates?” He was sure there were plenty of men who’d want a second date with a woman like her.
She shrugged. “Like I said, I’m careful.”
He couldn’t fault her. Not when he didn’t do second dates, either.
The sound of the lock sliding open galvanized them both to their feet.
The same young man who had brought the food shuffled in.
He looked at the uneaten food and then looked at them, his eyes big and scared. “They’ll get mad if you don’t eat.”
“Who’s they? ” Jeff walked closer.
The kid backed up. “You better not try anything,” he said in a low, urgent tone with a quick glance over his shoulder. “They’ll kill you. And me.”
“Where are we?” Tessa asked.
“Sherman’s place.” The kid stuffed his hands into his pockets. “You better eat that quick.”
“Get out here!” a man from beyond the open door to the shed shouted.
Jeff stepped to the right so he had a line of sight on the big guy with the scar running down the side of his face. The AK-47 the man held was aimed at the door.
“Did they put something in the food?” Tessa asked.
The kid scrunched up his nose. “No. I brought it straight over from the kitchen.”
“Then we better hurry.” Jeff touched Tessa’s shoulder. “Grab them off the tray.”
Once she had the sandwiches stacked in her hands, Jeff swept the tray off the floor and handed it to the younger man. “I’m Jeff. This is Tessa. What’s your name?”
After a moment of hesitation, he answered, “Kyle.”
Releasing his hold on the tray, Jeff nodded. Kyle hurried out the door, locking it behind him.
“Here.” Tessa pressed a sandwich into his hand.
The thing was dry and tasted like cardboard, but he ate every last crumb.
Tessa took a swig of water. “I wonder who Sherman is.”
“I have a suspicion we’ll find out soon enough.” Jeff reached for his own water bottle and drank deeply.
“Why did you ask Kyle his name?” Tessa asked. “And tell him ours?”
“If we hope to sway him to our side, he has to see us as people, as friends.”
“Smart. I’m impressed.”
“I don’t know if it will work. Kyle’s afraid of the man with the scar.”
“Do you blame him?” She scrunched up her nose and frowned. “That guy creeps me out.”
“Me, too.” He finished off his bottle of water.
“Shouldn’t you save some?” Tessa asked, concern darkening her eyes.
Taking the empty bottle, he blew into it, then quickly tightened the cap. Grasping each end of the bottle in his hands, he twisted the plastic cylinder until there were two bubbled sections.
“What are you doing?”
“Making a water-bottle gun. When I release the pressure by twisting the cap, the cap will pop off with force. It won’t kill anyone but hopefully it will distract enough for me to disarm whoever comes through that door again.”
“But that guy with the scar stands too far back.”
He winced. “Yeah. That’s a problem.”
“How did you learn that trick?”
“Science class in junior high.” He grinned. “I never thought it would come in handy but...” He shrugged. “Here’s hoping it works when the time comes.”
He went to the window and peered out. He could tell from the position of the sun that it was well past noon. He prayed his boss had sent out a search party when Jeff didn’t check in.
He counted the men he saw coming and going from the two buildings he could see. Only a couple of the guys were armed. He wished he’d caught a better look at the place to determine how heavily defended they were. He knew there were at least a dozen men with guns. But was that it or were there more? He needed to know how far away the nearest town was and where the road they were brought in on led.
He heard voices before he saw two men appear in his line of
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