Shit.Her phone was sitting on the kitchen table where she’d left it while she was training.Mårten would think she was still safe at home.He wouldn’t know what’d happened until he got home from work.And that might be too late for her.The idea that she was in some serious trouble caused a hard ball of fear to form in her chest.Tears prickled at the back of eyelids.How could she have been so stupid?Mårten had warned her to always check the door before she opened it.To always be aware of her surroundings.But she’d been lulled into a false sense of security during her stay in Sweden.
This was no time to give in to her fear, however.Mårten would expect more from her.She expected more from her.And if he wasn’t coming, then she’d need to rescue herself.Sitting up gingerly, she leaned her back against the wall, careful not to make any sharp movements with her head.What did Paige want with her?Summer wracked her memory banks.She was sure that the man who’d been with Paige wasn’t Tyrone King.She hadn’t had a good look at him before he’d taken her prisoner, but the fact he wasn’t Black, added to the photo Jacob had shown her of Tyrone, gave her all the clues she needed to know it wasn’t him.And it wasn’t the guy who’d broken into her apartment either; she’d remember his face anywhere.So who was he?At least she wasn’t tied up and was free to move around.Did that mean her captors were too stupid or too lazy to bother?Or were they so certain she wouldn’t escape that it didn’t matter?The second option had a sliver of alarm slicing down her spine.
Where the hell was she?That was the first question that needed to be answered.
She crawled about on her hands and knees, exploring the small space with her fingers, not yet confident enough that she wouldn’t get dizzy and fall on her face if she were to stand.The wooden slats were old and splintery, but also thick and sturdy, built to withstand the severe winters of northern Sweden.The shed was about two meters wide by four or five meters long.After she had brushed through more than one thick, sticky spiderweb, she gave up with a shudder.She didn’t know what types of spiders they had in Sweden, but she had a bit of a phobia of those eight-legged marauders.And as far as she could tell, none of the boards were loose, and there was no door she could find.Maybe she could kick her way out of here?But that wasn’t an option until head stopped swirling.
Loud footsteps crunching on the gravel outside interrupted her musing.But before Summer could do much more than turn to face the sound, one of the shorter sides of the shed slid open, grinding and squeaking along rusty tracks.Ah-ha, that’s why she couldn’t find the door; the entire wall was a door.
Summer blinked in the brightness of the afternoon sun.Paige stood silhouetted in the doorway.And outside, just beyond the opening, Summer could make out fields of long grass and wildflowers, with a Nordic forest of pine and conifer trees running along the left of the field.Summer tensed.If she could push Paige out of the way, she could be out of here like a shot, to freedom.
“I wouldn’t try to run if I were you.We’re in the middle of nowhere.You’d be lost without a trace.No one would find you for weeks or even months,” Paige said as if she’d read her mind.Was that why they hadn’t bothered to tie her up?And the way Summer was feeling, she might trip and fall flat on her face before she got more than three steps outside the building.So, running wasn’t an option just yet.
But Summer remained tense, ready for anything.
She got to her knees and then instantly regretted the move, her hand reaching for her forehead where it felt like someone was again pounding away with a hammer inside her skull.Nope, she wasn’t going anywhere right now.
“Still a bit groggy?”Paige came further into the shed, so that now Summer could see her features properly.“Sorry about that.It wasn’t my choice to drug you.”Her voice held no menace.In fact, she sounded decidedly convivial, as if they’d just picked up their friendship where they’d left off.Summer studied the other woman for a few moments.She didn’t look much different from the last time Summer had seen her.Dressed in casual civilian clothes instead of her USFWS uniform, she was plump and curvy, with an endearing smile, and could easily pass as an American tourist, all rosy cheeks and enthusiasm.Although this time her short bob had been allowed to grow out and was now a mousy brown color rather than rich dark auburn.And now, as Summer looked closer, Paige’s once happy, smiling mouth was bracketed by lines of tension; her brown eyes shuttered and defensive.
“What do you want with me?”Summer growled, not at all taken in by Paige’s friendly act.
“Not much.As long as you do as you’re told, we won’t hurt you, and you’ll be free to go in a few days.”
“What?”That didn’t sound right.Why would someone abduct her, then let her go again?
Paige came to stand in front of Summer, leaning down to hand her something.Summer shied away reflexively.“It’s just a bottle of water.”Paige sounded almost wounded at Summer’s reaction.“You must be thirsty.Nathan said you’d have a dry mouth for a day or so.”
Summer ignored the bottle Paige dropped on the bare earth beside her, even though she could probably swallow all that water in one long, satisfying gulp.“Who’s Nathan?”Was that the guy who’d held her down while Paige had shoved the rag over her mouth?
“He’s…a friend.”
Summer gave a loud snort.“Friend my ass.He’s a collaborator in whatever crime you’re committing here.Why did you kidnap me, Paige?Are you working with Tyrone King?Are you one of these eco-terrorists now?”
Paige looked taken aback at Summer’s fierce tone.Then she narrowed her eyes and got down on her haunches so she was level with Summer.
“Tyrone is an amazing man with an amazing vision.He’s doing what other people won’t.He’s putting a stop to all this greedy consumerism.He’s making them see they can’t keep destroying the Earth.There will be nothing left if they do.”The tense lines around Paige’s mouth softened as she spoke, her eyes going a little dreamy.
“Oh my God, you’ve completely fallen for his bullshit.”Summer could barely believe it.
“It’s not bullshit, Summer.We’re doing everything humanly possible to get the word across, but people just aren’t listening.They only care about themselves.You know all these research trips and feasibility studies aren’t worth the paper they’re written on.The mining companies are doing exactly as they please, and Trump is going to let them.Nobody cares anymore.But Tyrone is making them give a damn.He’s making them sit up and take notice.”
“Yes, but at what cost, Paige?You can’t condone his violent acts of arson?A little boy died in one of those fires.Tyrone killed him.”
Paige scowled, her eyes sliding away for a few seconds.“Of course I don’t condone that poor little boy’s death.I’m not an animal.And neither is Tyrone.He was sick with guilt after that.”
“Not enough to stop what he was doing,” Summer spat.
The problem was, Summer did understand some of Paige’s frustration.Sometimes it didn’t matter how many feasibility assessments or environmental impact studies were done.Even if they all came to the same conclusion that the new mine site would be catastrophic and more development would be detrimental to the environment, the government tended to ignore them if the outcome wasn’t in their interests.Summer was aware of just how devastating it could be when you spent months or even years working on a project to save a piece of land or an endangered species, only to have your work disregarded by the powers that be.She’d been involved in more than one of these projects herself.
“Look, I get it, Summer.I get why you’re disgusted with his tactics.I was too at the beginning.But after listening to him, he makes sense.We need to prioritize what remains of our pristine ecosystems before there’s nothing left.If we keep destroying the planet, then humans will perish in the end along with all the other animals.Sacrificing one life to save the rest of us…well, maybe that’s just what needs to be done.”
“No, it’snotright,” Summer emphasized the word.“If you’re prepared to kill for your cause, then you’re wrong, Paige.What you’re doing is wrong.”How could the other woman not see this?Paige and seemed so rational when they’d worked together.Optimistic that their field trip would help save the black-footed ferret.Extremely passionate about her job, knowing that she was helping to safeguard the unique environment of Yellowstone National Park.There’d been no sign of any underlying doubt.No sign she was about to betray her own morality.Summer wondered how long Paige had known Tyrone.How long had he been pumping her full of his poison?
“It was regrettable,” Paige admitted.“But Tyrone has promised it will never happen again.”
“And you believe him?”
“Yes.”
