“I’m sorry I don’t have any coffee,” she said.
“I’m sorry I don’t have a knife.”
“What are we going to do?” he asked.
“Connor will call someone when we don’t return tonight.” But night wouldn’t arrive for hours yet. She couldn’t sit here waiting for help that might not come. She had to find a way out of this on her own.
Connor told himselfit wouldn’t hurt if he swung by Stacy’s condo on his way home. Just to check in with her. He didn’t spot her car in the parking lot, but maybe she was parked around back.
He found the right door and rang the bell. No sounds from within. No answer. He tried knocking, then hard pounding on the door. Still no answer.
He looked around the area but saw no one. It was almost full dark now. Shouldn’t she be back? He pulled out his phone and sent another text.Everything okay?
He stared at the screen, willing her to answer. Long minutes passed with no reply. Maybe she was busy. But had she been so busy all day she couldn’t answer him?
Frustrated, he hit the button to call her number.
“The person you are calling is not available. Please leave a message…”
He hung up. Okay. She was busy. She didn’t have time to talk. Never let anyone say he couldn’t take a hint.
Stacy’s arms achedfrom being pulled behind her back. Her dad leaned against the wall beside her, head back and eyes closed. He looked so pale. As she studied him, he opened his eyes.
“Don’t look so worried,” he said. “I’m not dead yet.”
“We need to find a way out of here,” she said.
“We’ve already looked everywhere. This place is too solid, except for that patch in the back wall.” They both turned to study the rectangle of plywood in the otherwise thick siding a foot high and eight or nine inches wide.
“I could probably kick that out,” George said.
“And then what?” she asked. “Neither one of us is going to fit through it.”
Rattling at the door made them both tense. The door swung open, and Shane stepped inside, followed by a bearded man carrying a tray. “Hello,” Shane said, his voice hearty, even cheerful. “We brought you some supper.”
He took out a large pocket knife. Stacy forced herself not to flinch as he approached her.
“Don’t worry, I’m just going to cut off your restraints. Don’t try anything, though. Eddie here is armed and won’t hesitate to shoot.”
Eddie set the tray on the floor and drew a large pistol from a holster at his side.
Shane freed Stacy, then George, then stepped back and nudged the tray toward them with the toe of his boot. “Eat up while we talk.”
Stacy’s appetite had vanished, but she forced herself to pick up the paper plate with what looked like a ham-and- cheese sandwich and a bag of potato chips. She set this aside and reached for the bottle of water. Her father was already draining his.
“Why are you keeping us in here?” Stacy asked.
“Because I don’t like nosy people. And I don’t know what your intentions are. Better to keep you out of the way until my mission is complete.”
“What mission is that?” George asked.
Shane glanced at him. “SkyCrest Resort needs to learn they can’t take and take from people. It’s time they give back. They need to give back what they took from my family.”
“Blowing up the resort isn’t going to get your family’s land back,” Stacy said.
“You figured that out, did you? But don’t worry. I won’t do any more damage than is necessary to make my point.”
“Even one bomb will kill people.”
