Chills ran up her back, causing goosebumps to rise on her neck and arms. Why was she feeling this way? She listened for any voices, but she didn’t hear any. Brushing off the odd feeling, she headed toward Howard’s office. Her heels clicked on the polished concrete floor.
As she neared the office, she heard something else echoing in the building. She stopped and listened again. This time she heard voices.
“Hello?” she called out loudly. “Howard, is that you?” The voices stopped. After a few seconds passed with nobody answering, she tried again. “Hello? Is anyone here?”
Once again, silence greeted her. She shrugged. Perhaps she was hearing things.
She continued on her way, walking past a large printer. Out of the corner of her eyes a shadow moved. Suddenly, a man jumped in front of her. She screamed, but he quickly slapped his large, dirty hand over her mouth.
“Shut up, lady.”
Through the shadows, she couldn’t see much of his face, but she knew she’d never seen him before. His short black hair poked up all over his head, as though he didn’t know how to use a comb. His chubby face and wide body let her know she didn’t want to mess with him because he had more strength than her and he’d win. His narrowed, dark eyes looked mean. His glare could frighten any animal, and if that didn’t work, his putrid stench would make them pass out. Sweat mixed with another strong odor, churned her stomach.
“Are you going to be quiet?” he asked.
She nodded. Fear had frozen her limbs and her mind.
“Good girl.” He removed his hand and stepped back. In his other hand, he pointed a gun at her.
This can’t be happening!Although her mind screamed for someone to help her, the rest of her decided to obey the man.
“I don’t know what you’re doing here, lady, but you picked a very bad time to come to the warehouse.” His gaze ran over her. Frowning, he shook his head. “It’s too bad you came on this particular night. You see, my buddies and I are going to take some things from this place, and then we’re going to torch the warehouse. Unfortunately, we can’t have any witnesses. You understand, right?”
Fear raced through her. Losing control, her whole body shook. She clutched her hands together and pressed them against her stomach. The burly man would definitely kill her. The evil look in his twitchy eye let her know she would never make it out of here alive.
Tonight would be her last night in this world because Heaven awaited her. But even as she absorbed the information, her mind fought it. Why was this happening to her? Would someone come to save her?
He grasped her upper arm. “Lady, you look like you’re going to pass out. So I’m going to take you into this room.” He led the way toward Howard’s office. “And don’t be thinking of escaping, because it ain’t going to happen. I’ll keep my eyes on you.”
She didn’t answer, just nodded and followed him on shaky legs as he entered the office. Against the back wall was a brown leather couch that Howard insisted on having to help him with his bad legs and back.
The evil man shoved her. She stumbled forward, and thankfully, landed on the couch. On Howard’s desk next to the forgotten wedding present was some rope. The man grabbed it and tied her hands in front of her before kneeling in and tying her feet together. The ropes burned against her skin, and she was sure that because he’d made them too tight, she would lose feeling in her limbs soon.
“Now be quiet. I’ll come back to get you when we’re done.”
He turned toward the door, but stopped suddenly. His gaze moved to Howard’s desk, and especially, the phone. The evil man rushed to the phone and ripped out the cord from the wall, totally breaking any connection she’d have with the outside world since she’d left her cell phone in her car.
Once he left the room and closed the door, her tears finally poured from her eyes. She sobbed, but tried to do it silently. She didn’t want to give that man any reason to end her life any sooner than he’d planned. She shook so violently she couldn’t continue to sit up, so she lay down on the couch.
Her face hurt from the effort it took to cry so silently. She couldn’t die now! She was too young. There was still so much life she needed to live and people she wanted to see. She regretted losing touch with her brother, her only family. They’d been so close, so why hadn’t they stayed that way?
And then there was Brad...Oh, Brad!Tears fell faster, spreading across the leather beneath her face. Why had she denied her true feelings for him? Was she afraid of what she might find... that a devoted, responsible person like herself had actually fallen in love with him? She actually preferred the beach bum over someone who held a steady job. Why couldn’t she admit that she’d never truly loved Tom? She had only been in love with the idea of marriage, not the actual man.
As her sad and lonely life passed through her memory, she had no clue how long she had lain on the couch, sobbing. Her chest hurt as if a heavy truck rested upon it. Now she would never be able to tell Brad how she truly felt.
Suddenly, scuffling outside the office brought her alert. The man had returned, and he would definitely follow through with his promises. Hopefully, it would be painless and she would die quickly.
There was no reason to watch death walk through the door, so she kept her eyes closed. Grunting sounds came from whoever entered, mere seconds before something large hit the floor. Within seconds came a loud, angry curse.
“You... killed her!”
Brad’s heart-wrenching voice snapped her out of her numbness and she opened her eyes. Brad lay on the floor glaring up at the burly man.
“Brad,” she gasped and sat upright.
He swung his head toward her. The relief etched on his face made her cry all over again. She wanted to hope they’d be saved, but since he was tied up, too, she doubted there was a chance they’d get out of here alive.
The man with the large belly laughed, folding his arms across his mid-section. “Today is full of surprises. Now I get to kill two people.” He left the room and closed the door behind him.
