If he found her trying to escape, she had no doubt she’d be punished. He might not be able to kill her, but there were plenty of things he could do to make her wish she were dead.
Once she was out of his hold, Whitney carefully laid his arm back down again.
As she did so, he huffed, shifted slightly, and she froze.
Was he waking up?
Did he realize she was no longer pressed up against him?
Holding her breath, she waited, counting the seconds in her mind, praying that he wasn't going to open his eyes and see that she was making a move.
If worst came to worst and he woke, she could always lie and say she had to pee. Chances were, he wouldn't believe it because he hadn't given her anything to eat or drink since he brought her there, and she’d already been forced to pee in the corner a couple of times. Now, though, there was nothing left in her system to come out, and she was already feeling the effects of dehydration.
After counting to one hundred without him opening his eyes, Whitney determined that it was safe to move. Staying low, she scrambled on her hands and knees a couple of feet away from Terry before stopping again. Even though she wanted to just get up and run, she also wanted to do this carefully, minimizing the risk of Terry waking up.
Since he had no weapon on him, and she couldn’t beat him in a hand-to-hand fight, her only option was to flee, but this time she was determined there would be no freeze.
Scrambling another few feet away, she paused again. As badly as she wanted to try to find her top, she wanted out of here and away from this man more, so when he still didn't wake, she crawled the rest of the way to the door.
This might be the hardest part because the door creaked slightly as it opened. Thankfully, Terry hadn't locked it behind him. It was closed, but it wasn't latched in, so all she had to do was ease it open enough to squeeze through.
As her hands touched the cold metal, Whitney had never been more grateful in her life for her small size.
Glancing over her shoulder, she confirmed that Terry Richards was still fast asleep, then she dragged in a deep breath and went for it. The more she hesitated, the greater the chances of getting caught.
Pushing against the door, it was heavier than she had been anticipating, and she had to shove it with every drop of strength she had left in her weakening body.
It moved, and she let out a sigh of relief.
Just one more push should get it open enough for her to fit through.
Another check to confirm that Terry was still passed out from the drugs he’d taken, and then she pushed again.
This time her luck didn't hold.
The door squeaked.
Behind her, she heard Terry stirring.
Without looking back, Whitney scrambled through the small opening and tried to close the door behind her. When she found it was too heavy for her to move, she gave up, and instead took off at a dead run, her bare feet pounding the ground as she heard Terry swear as he obviously realized she was gone.
Chapter
Twenty-One
January 17th
12:12 A.M.
“Is that what I think it is?” Blade demanded when he heard a small beep go off on the tablet Lion was scrolling through.
Hope blasted his chest before he could stop it.
It had been a long day. They’d scoured every corner of the internet for intel on both the shipping company and the trucking company linked to Dr. Gardner’s men. Hours of grueling work, sitting staring at a screen when what he wanted to do was tear apart the world to find his missing little genius.
While it about killed him, he’d agreed to lie down for a few hours while they waited for the sun to set and the moon to rise. Sleep was the last thing he wanted, and he’d only agreed because the guys were right. Whitney’s life was hanging on the line, and if he messed something up because he hadn't slept in days, he would never forgive himself. The enhancements done to his system and those of his teammates meant they could go longer without sleep, but his body still needed it and would function better even with a couple of hours.
The trucking company had been a bust. They’d found some illegal drugs in a few of the vehicles, but there was no sign of Whitney. Of course, they’d let Prey know what they’d found, and he had no doubt that the cops would be making a visit to the company in the morning, but Blade couldn’t care less about some drugs in comparison to the life of the woman who had swept into his life like a breath of fresh air.
