question.”
Jennifer felt the breath of the hissing voice on her cheek. She pulled her head away from him. “Yes. I’m ready.”
When Snake pulled her to her feet and slipped behind her, Jennifer peered through the dim light of early dawn at a Catamaran near the shore. How deep was the water where the ramp connected to the boat? Deep enough to dive in?
She felt a tug on her belt. Snake’s hand had gripped it. A stinging chill ran up her spine as he pushed the knifepoint into her skin.
“Walk,” he ordered.
Cook led the way, a few feet ahead of her. Snake walked close behind with a firm grip on her belt. She had perhaps thirty seconds to decide what to do, or it would be decided for her.
Jennifer quickly considered her options as they walked towards the water’s edge. If she tried to escape, they would probably hesitate before deciding to kill her. She was worth a lot of money to them alive, nothing if she was dead. If she surprised them, their hesitation might give her time to escape.
She now had twenty seconds at most. To dive into the water she would have to break Snake’s grip on her belt. Could she deliver a foot stomp without forcing the knife into her back in the process? Could she swim underwater far enough to escape? Too many variables in the equation.
Only ten seconds now.
A voice came from the Catamaran. “Hurry up. The tide’s going out. We’ve got less than four feet of water under us.”
She had only five seconds. But it no longer mattered, unless she wanted to break her neck by diving into the shallow water.
Did she want to break her neck? The thought crossed Jennifer’s mind and lodged there as she walked up the ramp to the boat. Knowing the life she would be sold into, could she kill herself if there was no way of escape? It would be wrong. Life and death choices belonged to God. But would God forgive her if she did? She pushed these thoughts from her mind and tried to cling to the hope of rescue or escape.
She thought of Lee, of being his. One thing was non-negotiable. Whatever it took, she would never belong to anyone but him. She would fight them savagely until she prevailed or they decided to kill her. Please, God. Don’t let it come to that.
As Jennifer stepped onto the boat, out of sight of anyone on the shore, the restraints were again cinched tightly around her wrists and ankles. The tape was returned to her mouth.
The boat moved seaward, and Snake sat beside her prodding her with his knife. He looked up towards the boat’s captain. “We’ve got only fifteen minutes before it’s too light. You need to hurry.”
“I cannot draw too much attention to us.” The words came from a short, bald Asian man who was at the wheel of the boat. “We will be hidden by the yacht when we unload our…cargo. Do not worry.”
In a few minutes, she glanced out the window. Above her she saw the shadowy outline of a much larger vessel against the steadily brightening sky. The yacht. This must be their client’s vessel, the place where they would sell her, and she would begin her life of slavery. Once again she had missed her chance to escape. Possibly her last chance.
11
Lee gazed out the window of the restaurant into the darkness outside. It seemed that he was looking into the part of his heart where hope resided. Six AM. It was still too dark to see beyond the lighted parking lot. He was all out of ideas for his investigation. To burn up his nervous energy, he was spinning his cell in his hand, contemplating calling Ramirez for an update on the investigation.
The phone rang, startling him. He nearly dropped it onto the floor. It had been silent since 3:00 AM when Ramirez called to tell him the police were following several leads but still hadn’t found the men who took Jennifer.
Lee glanced at the caller ID. A local number. His heart sank. He answered but with a lackluster greeting.
“Lee, this is Granddad. Katie and I are at the airport renting a
Jennifer felt the breath of the hissing voice on her cheek. She pulled her head away from him. “Yes. I’m ready.”
When Snake pulled her to her feet and slipped behind her, Jennifer peered through the dim light of early dawn at a Catamaran near the shore. How deep was the water where the ramp connected to the boat? Deep enough to dive in?
She felt a tug on her belt. Snake’s hand had gripped it. A stinging chill ran up her spine as he pushed the knifepoint into her skin.
“Walk,” he ordered.
Cook led the way, a few feet ahead of her. Snake walked close behind with a firm grip on her belt. She had perhaps thirty seconds to decide what to do, or it would be decided for her.
Jennifer quickly considered her options as they walked towards the water’s edge. If she tried to escape, they would probably hesitate before deciding to kill her. She was worth a lot of money to them alive, nothing if she was dead. If she surprised them, their hesitation might give her time to escape.
She now had twenty seconds at most. To dive into the water she would have to break Snake’s grip on her belt. Could she deliver a foot stomp without forcing the knife into her back in the process? Could she swim underwater far enough to escape? Too many variables in the equation.
Only ten seconds now.
A voice came from the Catamaran. “Hurry up. The tide’s going out. We’ve got less than four feet of water under us.”
She had only five seconds. But it no longer mattered, unless she wanted to break her neck by diving into the shallow water.
Did she want to break her neck? The thought crossed Jennifer’s mind and lodged there as she walked up the ramp to the boat. Knowing the life she would be sold into, could she kill herself if there was no way of escape? It would be wrong. Life and death choices belonged to God. But would God forgive her if she did? She pushed these thoughts from her mind and tried to cling to the hope of rescue or escape.
She thought of Lee, of being his. One thing was non-negotiable. Whatever it took, she would never belong to anyone but him. She would fight them savagely until she prevailed or they decided to kill her. Please, God. Don’t let it come to that.
As Jennifer stepped onto the boat, out of sight of anyone on the shore, the restraints were again cinched tightly around her wrists and ankles. The tape was returned to her mouth.
The boat moved seaward, and Snake sat beside her prodding her with his knife. He looked up towards the boat’s captain. “We’ve got only fifteen minutes before it’s too light. You need to hurry.”
“I cannot draw too much attention to us.” The words came from a short, bald Asian man who was at the wheel of the boat. “We will be hidden by the yacht when we unload our…cargo. Do not worry.”
In a few minutes, she glanced out the window. Above her she saw the shadowy outline of a much larger vessel against the steadily brightening sky. The yacht. This must be their client’s vessel, the place where they would sell her, and she would begin her life of slavery. Once again she had missed her chance to escape. Possibly her last chance.
11
Lee gazed out the window of the restaurant into the darkness outside. It seemed that he was looking into the part of his heart where hope resided. Six AM. It was still too dark to see beyond the lighted parking lot. He was all out of ideas for his investigation. To burn up his nervous energy, he was spinning his cell in his hand, contemplating calling Ramirez for an update on the investigation.
The phone rang, startling him. He nearly dropped it onto the floor. It had been silent since 3:00 AM when Ramirez called to tell him the police were following several leads but still hadn’t found the men who took Jennifer.
Lee glanced at the caller ID. A local number. His heart sank. He answered but with a lackluster greeting.
“Lee, this is Granddad. Katie and I are at the airport renting a
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