Hands lifted her and hoisted her in the air. The gag stifled her yelp, and she landed with a thump. The man had tossed her over his shoulder.
She tried to kick, to fight out of his hold, but he controlled her easily with one arm banded around her legs.
She tried to lift her upper torso to throw herself off him, but he ignored her attempts.
Whoever he was, he was strong and smart. The way he had her bound rendered her useless to help herself.
Her eyes were adjusting to the dark, and she could make out vague shadows of objects. They were outside. The storage room had been an outdoor shed.
At a shed on the property? Chick Inn Time?
Her brain flooded with memories and images.
She’d decided to put up the sheet showcasing the names of the other six chickens. She hadn’t wanted them to feel bad about not having their names on display.
Silly, but she wanted them all to be treated equally except Maki. Maki would always be special.
She’d posted the sheet beside the original, talking to the chickens the whole time.
Next, she headed to the storage shed to grab their feed, figuring she’d do it early so Seth could focus on his carnivores. Then she’d help him set up.
She’d smelled something funny as something had moved into her vision from behind.
And that was it. Her next memory was waking up in the feed shed.
Chloroform? She’d read about it in books, but she had no idea how it worked in real life.
Now, she probably did.
The world rotated again as the man tossed her to the ground. Air whooshed out of her nose, leaving her dizzy, and she tried desperately to breathe.
Was he leaving her in the woods surrounding the farm? She hadn’t brushed against any trees or shrubs. Didn’t feel anything but the earth beneath her.
She heard the rip of duct tape, and then he yanked her to a sitting position. He shoved something against her belly, then wrapped duct tape around her, strapping it to her body.
Fear had her shaking and trying to squirm away, but he easily controlled her. Another rip of the tape, and then he shoved her back to the ground.
“All set now. Let him come.”
What did that mean? Whatever it was, it couldn’t be good.
She felt him move away, and then the closing of a door.
A door? She was outside. Had he gone into the shed? Would that give her time to concoct a plan?
Where was she? The scents around her finally registered. Chickens. Her chickens. Had he hurt their hens, or were they simply quiet because they’d put themselves to bed in the coop?
Mara wasn’t sure if she was in the Chick Inn Time enclosure or if he had gone inside. Was he planning to hurt the hens? Why? That wouldn’t accomplish anything.
As she struggled to steady her breathing, her eyes kept adjusting to the dim light. Heavy cloud cover didn’t help. If she were in or near the enclosure, the motion sensors should have kicked in unless he’d broken or disabled them.
What was strapped to her chest?
Panic zipped through her as her brain tossed out possibilities. None of them good.
Was it a bomb? That’s what happened in the movies.
Would he wait for Seth to arrive and then blow her up in front of him? He might want Seth to suffer through that hell all over again, but this time while watching her die.
