“Not alone, are you?” He said, holding up the obviously too-small boots up for Domik to see.
Domik looked away, shrugging.
“I think that’s why you didn’t want me going into that room.” The man turned toward Jock. “Do a check in the other rooms. Find her.”
Shit!
CJ turned and bolted into the scrubby trees to hide.
Despite her panic, she remembered where they had left the bike and headed toward it, hoping to keep between her only way of escape and the men looking for her.
She paused, finding a place to hide behind a tree and a rock and, crouching down, watched as Jock walked around the building right past where she had been hiding.
He paused as he reached the open bathroom window and reached up, pushing it shut.
I forgot to shut the window. Oh no.She swallowed, suddenly feeling nauseous as she looked along the building. None of the other bathroom windows were open.How stupid could I be?
She shook her head. Jock continued more slowly, staring into the trees right near her. She held her breath, peering out from between the thick foliage that was hiding her. When he moved on, she could breathe once more.
CJ waited until he had rounded the far side of the building before moving closer. She had to see Domik. She had to know where he was.
She stuck to the trees, moving slowly as she peered into the carpark.
Her breath caught when she saw Domik.
He was on his knees, hands bound in front of him, and four men were standing around him in a circle with guns trained on him.
What had they done to him?
The one called Jock called out to the leader as he jogged toward the group. “Are we taking him back to the farm?”
“May as well. He’s not talking, and we’ve got what we came for.” The leader scratched himself as he spoke, then gestured to the back of the pickup truck, muttering something CJ couldn’t catch.
She paled as she watched him yanked to his feet by his hands, and marched toward the back of the truck. He was pushed into the tray, his legs lifted by two of the men, who grunted with exertion as they lifted.
Why hasn’t he resisted?
CJ chewed on her lip as she watched the rest of the men climb into the pickup truck. He didn’t have long to break free.
She shifted from foot to foot.
Any second now. Come on, Domik.
Her heart pounded in her chest as she watched. The pickup truck started and then it began to slowly pull out of the carpark. She stared in disbelief. They were taking Domik away, and he had done nothing to escape.
Is he hurt?
She froze as she watched the pickup truck make its way to the carpark and then turn onto the main road.
Come on, Domik. Why aren’t you trying to get away?
She turned toward the building, then back toward the direction of the bike, then the opposite direction where the pickup truck had gone.
What do I do?
A little niggle of a thought broke through.
He could have died coming back for me. I just sat there and did nothing, and he risked his life.
